War Stories
July 15, 20265:40 AM
Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images.
President Trump’s decision to resume and escalate the war in Iran makes even less sense than his decision four and a half months ago to start the war in the first place. More jarring still, Trump announced on Monday that he would also take control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge a 20 percent toll to all ships passing through—which, besides defying credulity, blows to bits the tiny shred of moral claim that he had held against Iran’s government.
On Tuesday, just hours later, Trump walked back his demand for a toll—perhaps he was advised that it could double global shipping costs (if it could be enforced)—but supplied no details on how the U.S. would take control of the waterway. Nonetheless, both declarations, as well as the backpedaling, amplify what has been loud and clear for some time—that Trump makes major decisions off the cuff, often with no discussion of their implications, and that nothing he says should be taken seriously.
