The Rest Is Politics: US 166. How Trump’s War is Costing America
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Mar 9, 2026 They probe Trump's aims in the strikes on Iran and whether theatrical tactics are driving strategy. Military, political and economic angles are weighed, including oil-market shocks and global fallout. The conversation examines regional winners, planning failures, civilian casualties, and how rising costs might force a US retreat.
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Military Success Without Political Payoff
- Military strikes were reportedly successful in degrading Iran's ballistic and nuclear capabilities, but political objectives failed.
- Katty Kay notes no uprising and a new hardliner nominated, so regime-change hopes have not materialized.
Mission Creep Undermined Public Support
- Trump broadened objectives from limited strikes to talk of regime change and boots on the ground, undermining a sellable narrow mission.
- Kay argues a clear limited message (degrade nuclear/ballistic capability) could have been politically defensible, but Trump expanded aims.
Netanyahu And Putin Gain From Chaos
- Two geopolitical winners emerged: Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin benefited from the conflict.
- Kay notes Israel advances its aims while Russia gains from higher oil prices and diverted Western ordnance spending.