Trump spiraling because everyone knows his threats are 'not to be taken seriously'

President Donald Trump returns to the White House, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Washington, D.C., March 1, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

President Donald Trump is once again spiraling as he tries to end the war engulfing his presidency, but according to a new piece from The i Paper, his efforts continue to fail because everyone now knows his threats are "not to be taken seriously."

After hyping up the "memorandum of understanding" with Iran as a breakthrough in peace negotiations, Trump confirmed in the past week that the ceasefire is "over" as military strikes resumed against the Middle Eastern nation. This has also led to the Strait of Hormuz being closed once again, threatening to send gas prices skyrocketing once more as the global oil supply craters.

Writing for The i Paper on Wednesday, journalist James Ball argued that Trump is flailing when it comes to Iran, as all of his ideas seem to crash and burn immediately, while Iranian leaders have learned that he will never follow through on his most outlandish threats, taking away his preferred method for gaining leverage. Now, all he is left with is his old standby approach: "making extraordinary threats – then chickening out."

"The US President is looking increasingly desperate when it comes to Iran," Ball wrote. "His new ideas fall apart on first contact. Iran’s regime has seen for itself that his threats are not to be taken seriously. Time and again, when the stakes are high, Trump is the first to back down. He has now resorted to threatening to bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure including bridges and power plants – a war crime, but one he’s threatened so many times before that by this stage, it’s old news."

He added: "Officials within the Trump administration are reportedly referring to the reignited Iran conflict as Operation Bitch Slap. They may mean that to impress, but to many across the world it will only smack of desperation. Trump seems to have propelled the US back into a conflict that it has no idea how to end."

Ball noted further that this resumption of chaos and violence over Iran comes as there are less than four months left until the midterm elections, which Republicans are expected to lose badly as a result of Trump's toxic reputation with many voters. The war in Iran remains hugely unpopular as it roars back to life, and the gas prices that come with it are sure to be even worse for the GOP's electoral prospects.

"Everyone except Trump seems to know that he needs this war to be over – and yet he seems unable to tear himself away from it," Ball concluded. "Trump seems to be left with just one tactic: desperately lobbing bombs at a Middle Eastern nation and hoping something comes up. He should ask any of his recent predecessors as president how doing that worked out for them."

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