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Trump struggles to end an Iran war he never should have started

All the options are bad, and the president has no one but himself to blame.

By MAX BOOT

Washington Post

June 8, 2026

On May 23, President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war with Iran was almost finalized and would be “announced shortly.” Yet more than two weeks later no deal has been unveiled, and U.S. and Iranian forces continue to exchange fire regularly. Last week, an Iranian drone attack heavily damaged Kuwait’s international airport. On Sunday, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel, and Israel struck back. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed for all but a trickle of traffic.

So what happened? When the proposed terms, which apparently included unfreezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets, leaked out, American hawks on Iran went ballistic. Mike Pompeo, Trump’s first-term secretary of state, compared the proposed accord to the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration and exited by Trump in 2018. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, slammed Pompeo online: “Mike Pompeo has no idea what the f--- he’s talking about. He should shut his stupid mouth and leave the real work to the professionals.”

Despite the White House pushback, the criticism from the right seemed to spook Trump. He reportedly sent a tougher counteroffer to Tehran at the end of May, and now the negotiations have stalled. The Iranians are demanding the release of $12 billion of their frozen assets as part of any deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and another $12 billion during the 60 days of negotiations on their nuclear program that would follow.

Pete Hegseth's Offensive Address

The secretary of defense uses a D-Day speech to attack allies and immigrants

By MAX BOOT

Substack

June 6, 2026

Almost every day, Pete Hegseth offers fresh proof of why he should never have been appointed secretary of defense (or, as he prefers to call it, secretary of war). The latest example came on what should have been a solemn and sacred occasion: the commemoration of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944.

This was one of the turning points of World War II. The courage and sacrifice of the American, British and Canadian troops who landed on the beaches of Normandy made possible the liberation of Europe. It was a signal victory for democracy and a massive defeat for Nazi tyranny.

Much of Hegseth’s speech at the American cemetery in Normandy was appropriate to the occasion. “We remember the losses,” he said. “We celebrate the victories. We rededicate ourselves to the fight for liberty, security, and peace.” Sounds good. But Hegseth felt compelled to inject noxious MAGA ideology into what should have been a feel-good moment celebrating the trans-Atlantic alliance.