Joe Cirincione

Today, Congress was finally briefed on Trump's war of choice in Iran.

Even behind closed doors, they couldn't get their story straight.

But one thing is clear: they don't have a clue what the end game is, and it sure as hell isn't making America safer.

So, wait...we forced Israel to force us to "proactively defend" ourselves by attacking Iran without provocation from them? Which means, if I understand this properly, that, per Trump and Rubio, we actually were the imminent threat to which we were responding? That's some 4D chess going on there.

Coming up on The @deanobeidallah.bsky.social Show:

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You know, I’m often harshly critical of our government’s policies, but when I go (or talk) abroad, I feel that I should represent our country in its best light. That has become impossible. There is no way to defend what Donald Trump and his band of incompetents is doing to our nation — and the world

Just did an interview for a media channel in Dubai. They asked me about our war strategy. It was painful for me to explain that we had none. That the President of the United States had no idea of what he was going to do tomorrow. That the Secretary of State couldn’t remember what he said yesterday.

'I forced their hand': Trump says Israel didn't drag U.S. to strike Iran Israel-Iran War Day 4 | Sirens Sound in Tel Aviv, Central Israel. Iranian Reports: Assembly of Experts to Appoint Khamenei's Successor Now Convening Online. Sirens Sound Across Central Israel and West...

www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

This is from Day One of the war. It is a lie. We know for certain that there were no imminent threats. They made it up.

We must understand that Trump has gutted the Department of Defense and purged the upper ranks of our military. We cannot trust what little they are telling us about this war.

This is an outstanding interview with @repmcgovern.bsky.social It is so refreshing to have a senior Congressman talk so clearly, plainly and convincingly about war, diplomacy and our would-be king.

The Trump Regime is famous for failing to understand the effects of their actions (tariffs, FBI/DOJ purges, DOGE). This War could very well accelerate Nuclear Proliferation around the world. @joecirin.bsky.social on this nightmare scenario.
bit.ly/Click-2-Listen
YouTu.be/X92uTO8eVFM

Remember the Constitution? Trump doesn't. Or the War Powers Act? Trump doesn't. But we should, as @repmcgovern.bsky.social explains. And it's more than just this War.
The Trump Regime all but rejects the Separation of Powers.
bit.ly/Click-2-Listen
YouTu.be/X92uTO8eVFM

Our own Foreign Policy Guru, @joecirin.bsky.social is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations. He's also a brilliant wordsmith. Here he sums up Trump's War in Iran. Much more from today's Pod with Joe and @repmcgovern.bsky.social
bit.ly/Click-2-Listen
YouTu.be/X92uTO8eVFM

Unlike yesterday, the stock market is not bouncing back. Oil & gas prices are spiking. It’s starting to sink in that Bibi & Trump’s stupid war could sink global economies.
If anything convinces Trump to end his war of choice, a deep market slide and calls from angry billionaire buddies would be it.

Trump’s Way of War Iran, Venezuela, and the end of the Powell Doctrine.

We are a long way from Colin Powell’s wise warning that military leaders should not “quietly acquiesce in halfhearted warfare for half-baked reasons that the American people could not understand or support.” Read @rhfontaine.bsky.social’s smart essay. www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

Where’s Pam Bondi when you need her?

“We had to bomb Iran now, Trump has insisted, to eliminate “imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” That is not true. Iran did not pose any direct threat to the United States. Nor does Iran possess, as Trump claims, long-range missiles.” @billpress.bsky.social
thehill.com/opinion/whit...

What has Donald Trump unleashed on the world? Today on the Pod, @repmcgovern.bsky.social and @joecirin.bsky.social weigh in. McGovern asks, have we learned nothing from the past wars in the Middle East? Apparently not.
bit.ly/Click-2-Listen
YouTu.be/X92uTO8eVFM

Trump went to war on a whim, manipulated by Israel and Saudi Arabia. As the chaos spreads, we must be aware that he could use a nuclear weapon in Iran. He has sole, unfettered authority to launch whenever he wants. It would be insane to do so. But so was starting this unnecessary, illegal war.

The evidence is strong that Trump’s central claims about Iran are false, not merely that they haven’t been sufficiently explained to lawmakers. trib.al/NBVX56S

This is the mess Trump has created for the GOP. Since they can’t rule out that Trump may someday invade Greenland, they are forced to defend him by saying he’s not “a bloodthirsty president.”

Nicole Wallace @ms.now just put together an epic series of clips showing Trump, Vance and Gabbard arguing passionately against the very kind of war they are now waging “The sting of betrayal” she says will further split the MAGA base.

Failed Iran War + Epstein files + failed economy = disaster.

MBS owns Kushner.

It time to bring Melissa McCarthy back. She’d do a great Hegseth.

Opinion | Trump and Netanyahu Are Doing the Free World a Favor

According to NY Times columnist Brett Stevens, history started in 1979 with the takeover of the US embassy. But for Iranians history started in 1953, when the United States overthrew the democratic government of Mohammad Mosaddegh.

Learn history Brett. Then write.

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/o...

Bibi owns Trump.

As Trump attacks Iran, his 2017 abandonment of the Iran nuclear deal looks even worse The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, one of Barack Obama’s greatest successes, is relevant anew given the ongoing conflict in Iran.

The Iran Deal was “the greatest feat of international diplomacy since the end of the Cold War,” says @stevebenen.com. He’s right. If Trump hadn’t killed it, we wouldn’t be worried about an Iranian bomb today. And we could have built on it to curtail the missile program. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

As Trump attacks Iran, his 2017 abandonment of the Iran nuclear deal looks even worse The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, one of Barack Obama’s greatest successes, is relevant anew given the ongoing conflict in Iran.

The Iran Deal was “the greatest feat of international diplomacy since the end of the Cold War,” says @stevebenen.com. He’s right. If Trump hadn’t killed it, we wouldn’t be worried about an Iranian bomb today. And we could have built on it to curtail the missile program. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

“Let us be clear: This is a war of choice. There is no imminent threat. If Donald Trump had not pulled out of the JCPOA, Iran’s nuclear program would be contained today…I cannot remember when an American president has done something so monumental without bother to explain it.” @senscha.bsky.social

Thank you!

Gotta hand it to Trump. It took months before the Pentagon admitted that the claims about an imminent threat from Iraq’s WMD were lies. Trump got it done in one day.

No imminent threat. No casus belli. Trump went to war because he wanted to.

Whoa! Nicely done.