-By Virgil
(Lanka-e-News -17.March.2026, 10.45 AM) “I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.” -Isaac Newton
Donald Trump, in the opinion of some political and military pundits, seems to have encountered his own Rubicon. Entering into a major military conflict with Iran without predetermined objectives and strategical approach to any warfare is not only foolish, it borders on being delusional. From the phalanxes of antiquity to the digital battlefields of today, great military leadership remains a result of preparation, not providence. History's greats did not earn their greatness by accident.
Yet, Trump's avarice for world-dominance has not reached its desired degree; economically rich beyond comparison, militarily unmatched in the battlefield, America under a wiser President would not have ventured into an unprovoked 'excursion' into Iran (old Persia). While some in the administration justify the move as strategic, many a pundit wonders whether this so-called 'excursion' is part of Trump's elongated ego, desperately struggling to find its elusive expression.
Trump did not consult his allies; he did not inform the UN nor invoke its approval; neither did he seek advice or opinion or support of NATO, America's closest military ally. What was promised as a military excursion lasting only days has dragged into its third week; the prospect of a resolution in months is not promising. 'Hitting a wall' is the last thing that any invading army in the olden days would have desired to come across; and it looks like Donald Trump and his military machine have tumbled upon precisely that.
Failure to calculate what the enemy would do in the event of a massive military attack, antagonizing her closest military allies of the NATO and totally disregarding the prospective economic repercussions, are amongst the crucial unforced errors committed by Trump and his cohorts in the administration. Conducting major serious warfare is not reality television. Decreeing that his Press Secretary deliver blatant falsehoods and exaggerated claims from the podium does not constitute clever governance of complex national affairs, whether they be war, the economy, or culture. Were this carnival to unfold in a barren wasteland, its ripples would never reach the global stage. We are not acting nor provoking in isolation; rather, we operate within an all-encompassing global context. The current international scenario demands the attention, action, and reaction of every nation-state.
Trump's failure as a leader could not have been more evident than in these circumstances which require, not only strategic thinking and planning, but also intellectual reasoning. The capacity for historical synthesis—using the past to navigate contemporary sociopolitical and economic landscapes—is a hallmark of an intellectually rich and temperamentally balanced leader. Donald Trump’s governance, however, suggests a lack of both attributes.
In the ancient world there was no organization that represented the entire world; there was no 'United Nations' (UN) as such. The development of global society was gradual and technological advancement was meager—in relative terms, woefully slow. Yet, empires such as Persia and Rome, along with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, ruled their territories as the preeminent powers of their time.
While many contemporary ancient empires (like those in Egypt and Mesopotamia) relied on great armies to conquer and rule, the Indus Valley Civilization appears to be a major exception, showing little to no evidence of standing armies, weapons of conquest, or royal rulers. Archaeologists have never uncovered any signs of ash (indicating whether the city had ever been burned), weaponry, or even of an army itself. To be historically precise, it is accurate to say that no clear evidence of large-scale, state-sponsored warfare has been found in the urban phase of the Indus Valley Civilization, which marks it as a unique outlier in the ancient world. No wonder Siddhartha Gautama and Mahatma Gandhi were such serene bearers of the sublime aspects of the human story throughout the centuries.
However, when one telescopes oneself into the twenty-first century, the painting one sees is diametrically opposed to that which may have been sustained by the Indus Valley Civilization. The nuanced lines, the inscrutable spaces, and the overall sublimity of the total picture are sadly missing; in their stead stand B2 bombers, and missiles with devastating accuracy that can kill hundreds in one discharge. What is even more distressing is the callous fashion and cruel subjectivity in which both President Trump and Secretary Hegseth describe the inner and outer strengths of these killing machines and their hapless intended targets.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was treated with utter disdain by this President has now become a useful tool in his hand; the fundamental assertion of NATO's obsolescence has turned into an aggressive demand for utility, with Trump threatening to abandon the alliance if it doesn't serve his immediate interests in the Gulf. His leadership failed in assessing the usefulness of NATO; furthermore, he was woefully unsuccessful in forecasting the likely outcomes in his Iran campaign. Furthermore, he has displayed a remarkable appetite for sharing blame and failures while embracing the victories, if any, for himself alone: a quality of a truly narcissistic personality!
The Iran war is coming to its third week. The initial vigor with which the Republican party promoted its Mideast agenda and supported intense military action against Gaza and Palestinian territories seems to have changed or, at least, to be facing more scrutiny recently. The way in which Donald Trump in particular and the Republican Party in general held their opponents- in complete disdain- may never have been compassionate, nor kindly, but the average American citizen, irrespective of color, creed or ethnicity would remember. In time to come such cruel and uncivil conduct would have to face judgment of not some unseen god, but the real people at the ballot box. Failure to forecast the drastic economic consequences is unpardonable, especially for a sophisticated economy like the USA. Donald Trump failed miserably to pre-assess the situation that would emerge when the Straits of Hormuz is closed for shipping traffic. Iran played her last card and that alone would prolong the war, at least by a couple of months.
Iran War will not be limited to the Middle East region; its ripples would create longer lasting and more sinister consequences; the cascading effects would be unmanageable and might not be contained by the modern and sophisticated war machinery America possesses. It is time some sober minds from both sides, USA/Israel and Iran prevailed. The conflict should not be allowed to spill over to a wider range of states and ultimately engulf the whole world. Russia, China and India are three of great global players who, at least for the time being, not involved at all. But for how long one does not know.
Remnants of this war, among others, would be long lines at the gas pump, spiraling cost of living, increased airfares, loss of employment and potential social problems which would eventually attack the unit of family. Closure is not in sight; talks between warring parties do not seem to be in the realm of possibility, as at now.
One should never close the door for peace. Eventually history tells us that it was the peacemakers who altered its trajectory. Emperors come and emperors go; but the people at large remain until the end of time. Modern warfare is dreaded because of the existence of nuclear powered war machine. But one must remember that it was only America that used nuclear power as an offensive weapon. Today the nuclear club has more than a dozen members. As long as it is sustained as a deterrent weapon, the world will survive any war that is fought with traditional weaponry. It is wholly naive to expect the whole world to disarm itself of nuclear weapons. But the threat of mutual destruction could be a more disarming thought than any nuclear weapon.
Iran using the Straits of Hormuz as a throttling weaponry, expanding the region of war to the neighboring Gulf States, bombarding them with their own drones and short-range missiles, maintaining a civil administration system that could run the country effectively despite the fall of the ruling Khamenei family, except perhaps Mojtaba Khamenei, the son, and the rest of the state's leadership machinery, speak for the efficiency with which the administrative wherewithal is being handled. Iran, as has been propagated in the Western world, is not an underdeveloped country. Not only its history is rich, its present and the foreseeable future seem to be in capable hands. Underestimation of your enemy is a cardinal error one should never commit in the arena of warfare.
The writer is reachable at [email protected]
Virgil's Collection
https://www.lankaenews.com/category/21
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by (2026-03-17 05:22:46)
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