President Trump Lost This War

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/opinion/-trump-lost-war-iran.html


By The Editorial Board

...

Iran’s hard-line government remains in place. The specifics of the nuclear agreement will apparently be negotiated over the next two months, but the terms seem likely to resemble those of a 2015 deal that President Barack Obama negotiated and that Mr. Trump canceled in 2018. He described the Obama agreement as the “worst deal ever” and said it put Iran on “a route to a nuclear weapon.” He criticized it for failing to force Iran to stop supporting terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and for loosening economic sanctions. Yet his destructive war seems likely to leave him with a similar deal.

His biggest achievement in the cease-fire framework is the expected reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping traffic, which will eventually reduce the prices of energy and other goods. That, of course, is merely a reversion to the prewar status quo. Iran closed the strait in retaliation, to damage the global economy and increase political pressure on the United States. The move worked, and Iran’s leaders now understand that they hold a powerful economic weapon.

On balance, Iran emerges the strategic winner of the four-month war. It did suffer substantial losses, including much of its navy, air force, military-industrial capacity and political leadership, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, who was killed on the war’s first day. With the war ending, however, Iran’s leadership can begin rebuilding.

The United States, for its part, looks weaker in the eyes of the world. The American military has shown itself unable to quash a much smaller opponent even as it burned through many of its long-range precision missiles and interceptors. The outcome damages this country’s ability to deter other potential adversaries. To begin to repair the damage, the United States would be wise to mend alliances in Europe, the Middle East and Asia that have been frayed by the war’s military and economic effects. The Pentagon will also need to modernize and prepare for the wars of the future. Neither is likely to happen under President Trump.

...

[PJMcK]

1. Trump is a loser

The thing he fears the most. He has failed at everything.

Loser.

[chicoescuela]

2. One million % correct. It is really that simple.

[Mr.Bee]

22. He thought he was going to invade a shithole country and take their oil

Instead he had to make up a story about WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION
NT

Dunce J. Drumpf

[Ray Bruns]

24. Big Time

[Dulcinea]

28. Fake, phony, fraud, charlatan, loser.

Pick your favorite.

[Prairie Gates]

3. The War was Rigged!

[Attilatheblond]

33. Iran didn't know Trump is the King of the Universe and they were supposed to bow

or bend over.

[Kid Berwyn]

4. They forgot about Epstein. Glad they mentioned Israel.

From NYT editorial:

Before the American and Israeli attack began on Feb. 28, Iran’s leadership had endured a miserable two and a half years. The government was far weaker than it had been before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, which Iran has long funded and advised. In response to that attack, Israel significantly diminished Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy group. In Syria, a murderous, Iran-backed dictator fell while Iran’s leaders did little to save him. Israel and the United States exposed Iran’s air defenses and missile program as paper tigers when they bombed Iranian nuclear sites last summer, setting back its program. All the while, Iran’s currency continued to plummet, and its economy was in ruins. Starting late last year, Iranians took to the streets to protest, and the regime responded by killing thousands of them, if not tens of thousands.

[YodaMom2]

14. And what the Orange Dipshit did has strengthened them.

Their hold on Iran has solidified ALL. BECAUSE. OF. HIM.

[Kid Berwyn]

19. Thousands if not tens of thousands of dead Iranian protesters...

...many of whom rose up on Dimdonnie's promise in January:

"Iranian patriots! Seize this moment...Help is on its way!"

Like his definition of strength, I guess his definition of help is different.

[SamuelAdams]

5. China probably feels they have a much freer hand in Taiwan after this.

[Martin68]

9. That's a serious ramification.

[modrepub]

23. Maybe They'll

Look at what Russia and the US did and figure it’s better to try and integrate by another means besides force.

[ashredux]

6. If a man bankrupt's two casinos, how can you expect him to do something like "win a war" ?

[jmowreader]

16. Three

[calimary]

38. Dismal.

I guess all anybody needs to know about him is: he can talk a good game. Unfortunately for too many people, talk is mighty cheap and easy. Meanwhile, positive results promised in that cheap ‘n’ easy talk are nowhere to be found.

[Rebl2]

7. What about

the fact we will give them billions in tax payers money and unfreeze their assets?

[maxsolomon]

17. The full terms of the deal are still unknown so the NYT left them out of the Editorial.

I guess.

[usonian]

8. Archived

https://archive.is/6MMQB

[dalton99a]

20. +1

[Martin Eden]

10. Obama's deal had Iran give up 97% of its enriched uranium and allow inspection of its nuclear facilities

Will Trump’s deal resemble that?

[underpants]

27. JCPOA was 159 pages. Apparently JV Vance said this is a page and a half

Link to tweet

?s=46

[Martin Eden]

30. Regarding nukes, it's probably trust WITHOUT verification

Trump just wants this to be over with.

[Bristlecone]

11. All in the name of distraction from Epstein

He is a complete fraud, top to bottom.

[niyad]

12. HEY, nyt. YOU helped create this monster, but thank you for

FINALLY actually printing something true about him.

[Mblaze]

13. Not to mention

The $300 billion that will be given to Iran.

[Mblaze]

15. I wish every media person and politician

Would stop calling it "Obama's deal". The JPCOA was negotiated and signed by Iran, the US, France, the UK, Germany, China and even Russia.

[karynnj]

29. Although that is true, in the final years when the US

actively joined others, the US took the lead on drafting the framework, the interim agreement and the final agreement. Negotiating with all the other partners.

[Mblaze]

36. Thanks 😀

[NNadir]

18. In other news, the ocean is wet and tree leaves are green in June.

[IbogaProject]

25. Nope America lost this war

He hasn't lost anything. The military industry got a windfall, I believe they bumped the budget recently another 1/2 Trillion. Our bases suffered huge damage over there and we totally blew through our stockpiles. Also the oil industry got extra money and wholesale prices are still higher than in January. We lost money and America lost face around the world. I think that is a good thing as our nation has done nearly nonstop horrible things with our CIA and Army. But on the other hand we had done so much with the Peace Corps and other science and foreign aid efforts. I just hope this leads to a national reevaluation of our military spending levels.

[NBachers]

26. None of this would'be happened under President Kamala Harris and a Democratic Administration

[Ray Bruns]

32. But Kamala Harris Laughed Funny.

Last edited Tue Jun 16, 2026, 11:08 PM - Edit history (1)

[calimary]

39. Infuriating, isn't it!

[Ray Bruns]

31. "To begin to repair the damage, the United States would be wise to mend alliances in Europe, the Middle East and Asia"

It would be wise so this is not what Trump is going to do.

[City Lights]

34. ETTD, except for Iran.

He touched that and strengthened it.

[VBNMW_Realist]

35. The Loser Who Thinks He's A Winner

For his entire life, Donald Trump has had a self-image of being a "winner". This is despite the fact that throughout his entire career, he has not done anything good in his life in my opinion and has even gone bankrupt multiple times as a businessman. And to make matters worse, he thought that was a brilliant strategy, which is actually a form of fraud.

[Emile]

37. Trump is a no talent guy.