Trump chose to go it alone against Iran. Now he’s learning the value of friends

September 2, 2026 — 5:00am

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The idea that success has many fathers and failure is an orphan is a maxim that can be as readily applied to way nations approach problems in the Middle East as to many other areas of life. The Middle East is a complex region where patience, diplomacy and coalition-building often succeeds where military adventurism doesn’t. Wise leaders understand this, foolish ones don’t. And US President Donald Trump is neither a wise leader nor a coalition-builder.

More than six months into his promised six-week war, which has cost thousands of lives and more than $US37 billion ($52 billion) to date, the focus is now on the re-opening of a strategic waterway through which global energy resources passed freely the day before the Americans and the Israelis began their ill-conceived and ill-advised bombing campaign against Iran. Only this week the US again used military force when it bombed Iranian launchers on Larak Island, eliciting a response against targets in Jordan and the UAE from Iranian forces. Guaranteeing freedom of passage for the world’s energy supplies was not one of the grab-bag of aims Trump enunciated for starting the war, which shows just how far he has strayed from his original justification.

Trump was elected on a promise that not only would there be no more wars (something he has since denied), but he would end wars. An admirable aspiration no doubt, but such aims require a coherent strategic vision, deft diplomatic skills, and a willingness to engage friends (and enemies).........

© Brisbane Times