THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent Trump Accidentally Admits to Epic Iran Blunder as War Takes Worse Turn
Mar 24, 2026
Matt Duss, foreign policy expert and EVP at the Center for International Policy, offers sharp analysis of U.S.-Iran policy missteps. He discusses why Iran widening the conflict was predictable. He critiques lack of preparation, market and hawk pressures, Tehran’s deterrence tactics, and how military moves risk strengthening hardliners.
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Trump's Admission Reveals Lack Of Foresight
- Donald Trump admitted he didn’t anticipate Iran would attack other countries, revealing his lack of foresight on a widely expected Iranian response.
- Matt Duss explains Iran’s retaliatory strikes are part of an established deterrence strategy aimed at creating pain for U.S. partners, which experts had predicted.
Iran's Regional Strikes Were Predictable Deterrence
- Iran’s attacks on neighboring U.S. allies were predictable and intended as deterrence, not unpredictable escalation.
- Matt Duss notes every regional target (Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel) fit Iran’s defensive playbook to retaliate after strikes.
Administration Was Caught Off Guard By Hormuz Closure
- The Trump team was reportedly caught off guard by Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz and the global economic fallout.
- Duss attributes this to Trump not doing the reading and having a limited attention span for complex briefings.