Chicago – June 23, 2025
President Donald Trump’s onslaught of Iran’s nuclear plants was the most violent moment of his two terms and America’s 46-year showdown with the Islamic Republic.
Flush with the spoils of battle, he already seems to be toying with the idea of regime change.
But the reality of whether Trump truly destroyed Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the consequences of his aggression are far more ambiguous than his bullish claims of victory would suggest.
The president insisted Sunday that the damage to three nuclear sites struck by the US was “monumental.” He posted on social media that “the hits were hard and accurate.”
Round-the-world raids by B-2 stealth bombers out of Missouri using never-before-deployed “bunker-busting” bombs demonstrated the unique reach of the US military and its continued potency despite Trump administration chaos at the Pentagon.
If Trump’s order eradicated Iran’s nuclear program, or set it back years or decades, he could claim a legacy achievement that lifted an existential threat to Israel. If Iranian power is neutered, the Middle East could be
