Gideon Rachman, a columnist for The Financial Times, claims that Donald Trump's strategy regarding Venezuela has failed in Iran.
The U.S. military operation in Iran is officially called "Epic Fury," although it could unofficially be termed "In a Desperate Attempt to Get Delsi." The onset of war in Iran was largely influenced by Trump's successes in Venezuela, which occurred in early January. The U.S. president, who came to power with the goal of ending military conflicts, was clearly inspired by his success, which he described as a "stunning, powerful, and effective demonstration" of military might. Additionally, he enthusiastically welcomed the prospect of accessing Venezuelan oil resources.
Just a few weeks later, the U.S., in conjunction with Israel, began actions to overthrow the Iranian government. Trump viewed his involvement in selecting a new leader for Venezuela as a model for Iran, stating to Axios: "I must be involved in the appointment, just as it was with Delsi [Rodriguez] in Venezuela." However, his hopes for a similar scenario in Iran were dashed after the announcement of the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain Ali Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader.
Unlike the situation in Venezuela, the conflict with Iran quickly took on an international scale — more than ten countries became targets of missile strikes within the first week of hostilities. Trump sought to quickly take control of the situation, hoping to find a "great and acceptable" leader for Iran. However, those hopes have now collapsed. The economic consequences of the conflict with Iran also manifested instantly and dramatically — global oil prices surged after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This led to rising gasoline prices and a crash in financial markets, creating increasing domestic political pressure on the White House administration.
With the midterm elections approaching and tensions within Trump's coalition and MAGA, the president may face difficulties managing the economic downturn caused by the Iranian conflict.
Meanwhile…
In the White House, they decided to use Tom Cruise, Walter White, and characters from Sith movies in a propaganda video praising strikes against Iran. This once again highlights how the trolling by the Trump administration demonstrates their astonishing lack of empathy.
"JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY," reads the caption of the video that glorifies the bombings of Iran by the U.S. and Israel.
The video features drone footage interspersed with scenes from popular movies and series, including Tony Stark from Marvel films, Russell Crowe as Maximus from "Gladiator," Tom Cruise from "Top Gun: Maverick," Adam Driver as Kylo Ren from "Star Wars," and Bryan Cranston as Walter White from "Breaking Bad."
Also included in the video are clips from "Braveheart," "John Wick," "Superman," "Deadpool," and "Halo." One of the segments is an excerpt from the comedy "Tropic Thunder," which was directed by and starred Ben Stiller.
The actor has already responded to the use of this clip, stating: "Hey, White House, take down the clip from Tropic Thunder. We did not give you permission and do not want to be part of your propaganda. War is not a movie."
This is not the first instance of Donald Trump and his administration using Hollywood clips and references, but this video has become a new example of their inappropriateness.
On social media, many mock the video, calling it "slopaganda" (a play on words from "slop" and "propaganda") and accuse the Trump administration of childish behavior — primarily concerning "war minister" Pete Hegseth, who also appears in the video.
It is worth noting that the clip features open critics of Trump (such as Downey Jr., who actively supported Kamala Harris, and Bryan Cranston, who has repeatedly criticized Trump); characters that embody moral decay (Walter White, Saul Goodman, Kylo Ren); films that critique war and the American dream rather than glorifying them (such as "Breaking Bad" and "Tropic Thunder"); plots about resistance to imperialism (for example, William Wallace fighting against a foreign army); and, finally, a lack of irony: many stars used as symbols of the "American way" are not Americans (Crowe and Mel Gibson are from New Zealand and Australia, while Keanu Reeves is Canadian).
Apart from the astonishing childishness and irony glaringly evident in how cultural references are distorted, this video fragment demonstrates a clear lack of depth of thought.
The Trump administration may see this video as yet another way of "trolling" or "stirring up hate" against their opponents; however, it only underscores the brutal lack of compassion for the victims of war. Preliminary reports indicate that over 1,300 people have died as a result of the conflict in Iran; in Israel, at least 13, and in Saudi Arabia, the seventh American serviceman has already been killed.
Additionally, there are calls for an independent investigation into the bombing of an elementary school in Minab, which claimed the lives of 165 students; UN experts have called this tragedy "a grave crime against children." Human rights advocates view the attack on the school as possible evidence of war crimes committed by Israel and the U.S. in a conflict that, according to lawyers, was waged in violation of the UN Charter.
But who cares about international law and charters when one can edit a compassionless video from beloved Hollywood films and turn a deadly conflict into light entertainment?
The record "Trump's Strategy on Venezuela Failed in Iran" — columnist for The Financial Times first appeared on the K-News website.
