Opinion
By Takis Theodoropoulos
Whatever happened to the Iranians who greeted the first American bombs with relief and celebration? If they are still alive and have not fallen into the hands of the Revolutionary Guards, I doubt they are sharing Trump's enthusiasm for peace. More likely, they have joined the long line of people who believed America would come to their aid, only to be let down without anyone ever explaining how or why.
They now stand alongside the Kurds whom Trump abandoned, dismissing them because they had not fought in Normandy. Alongside the Afghans who were left at the mercy of the Taliban. Alongside the Danes, perhaps the most pro-American people in Europe, who suddenly discovered that their great ally wanted to take a piece of their territory, like a greedy child grabbing one more slice of cake. Alongside the Ukrainians, who are watching the leader of their ally communicate more comfortably with the invading Putin than with them, and who have seen Zelensky publicly humiliated in the process. Alongside Europeans who are beginning to realize that America is no longer the country they once knew and who increasingly see its unpredictable leader as less of an ally and more of an adversary.
This is the great ally who seems to get along better with Kim Jong Un than with Macron. The ally who, at a critical moment, had no hesitation about turning his back on Israel, its strongest partner in the Middle East. So many countries that once depended on the United States as the leader of the free world now find themselves stranded. What makes it worse is the way it is done. There is something almost Caligula-like about it. It is not enough for him to do these things. He wants everyone to see that he enjoys doing them.
Of course, it is one thing to be a Dane or a French supporter of Bardella who believed in Trump until recently and now avoids him as if he were toxic. It is something entirely different to be an Iranian who genuinely believed America would help free the country from the rule of the mullahs. Now you are left with no choice but to keep quiet, stay out of sight, and offer a bitter smile whenever someone says this was all about the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Israel inflicted serious damage on Iran's military apparatus, but they failed to accomplish any of their stated goals. The regime may have lost some of its senior figures, yet it remains firmly in place. What is most striking is the silence that has settled over the country like a toxic cloud. No one knows what is happening inside Iran. No one knows whether the Revolutionary Guards have launched a crackdown against dissidents. No one knows how many people may have been killed. No one knows what tomorrow holds for ordinary Iranians.
All of it is drowned out by the voice of the Great Peacemaker, who seemed to view the ceasefire as a birthday gift to himself. It is as if he cannot grasp that the fate of millions depends on his political theatrics. Or perhaps he does understand, and simply does not care.
