President Trump has long fashioned himself a dealmaker, not a warmonger. Yet the June 2025 U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities marked a stark departure from his self-proclaimed aversion to entanglements in the Middle East. With Israeli warplanes having already led the charge and Iran threatening retaliation across the region, Trump found himself cornered—by geopolitical momentum, hawkish advisors, and the optics of hesitation. Whether the strikes were a calculated act of deterrence or a reactive concession to pressure, they underscore the central paradox of his foreign policy: a president who prefers diplomacy but often governs by force. Continue reading →