Trump’s Iran Strikes Usher In an Era of Unrestrained American Power
The targeted attacks and killing of a sitting head of state mark a departure from decades of US policy.
President Donald Trump oversees “Operation Epic Fury” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in this photograph released by The White House on Feb. 28.
Photographer: Daniel Torok/The White House
President Donald Trump has long said the US is done with nation-building. Now, he’s embraced a form of intervention that hearkens back to an earlier American era: openly targeting adversaries’ leaders for death or arrest while offering few details about how the US intends to manage the aftermath.
Just a few weeks ago, US forces seized Venezuela’s president in a surprise raid from the air. By ordering strikes on Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei this weekend, Trump has gone even further. Scores have already been killed, including four US troops so far. Hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones have hit countries across the region, while American and Israeli forces continue their attacks. The escalation and its unpredictable consequences are already driving oil prices higher and testing investor tolerance for geopolitical risk.