President Donald Trump inadvertently revealed the chaotic nature of his Iran war planning while boarding Air Force One on Monday, admitting that Iran's regional retaliation caught military planners off guard.
Trump drew attention to what he alleged was Iran's unexpected attack on its neighboring countries, claiming, "That was not supposed to-- nobody was even thinking about it," before adding without evidence, "they wanted to take over the Middle East."
New Republic correspondent Greg Sargent and Center for International Policy executive Vice President Matt Duss criticized Trump's lackluster responses, arguing experts anticipated Iran's defensive actions.
Duss emphasized Trump does not read briefing materials and "makes stuff up," pointing to his threat to bomb civilian power plants, a potential war crime. Analysts argued that Trump's failures directly contributed to the war deteriorating on multiple fronts, with stock markets troubled and oil prices rising.
Duss stated flatly that "everyone anticipated" Iran's attacks across Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel as part of a deterrence strategy.
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