Alan Zendell, April 8, 2026

The world breathed a sigh of relief, but only minutes passed before the reality of the terms of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran were revealed for what they are. President Trump’s outrageous, inappropriate language threatening genocide and the destruction of an entire civilization was, after all, a bluff. But the fact that it so far has resulted in the appearance of further negotiations doesn’t change the reality that deliberate deception in diplomacy often leads to catastrophic outcomes. The consensus among world leaders is that Trump is reckless and dangerous. The trust and respect for the United States that existed before Trump took office is no more.  

With both the United States and Iran declaring victory and Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continuing to engage in hyperbole about the outcome, we’ll not soon see anything like transparency or truth from either. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains happily silent as his forces continue to destroy southern Lebanon while the world’s eyes are focused elsewhere. Not that Israel isn’t justified in attacking Hezbolah, but let’s not pretend the fighting is over.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez summarized how the rest of Europe sees the cease fire: “The government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket. What is needed now: diplomacy, international law and PEACE.” If the lack of cheerleading and praise for Trump from every country we once viewed as allies seems dismaying or confusing, let’s look at why. As many observers have noted, Iran’s proposal, which Trump lauded as a sound basis for further negotiation, would leave Iran far stronger than it was before the war and America’s influence and ability to effect events in the Middle East far weaker.

Trump began this war demanding that Iran cease all work on enriching uranium and turn over its store of near weapon-grade uranium. He also demanded regime change and the end of Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism. The issue of the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t even mentioned, and insiders have suggested that Trump never took the possibility of Iran shutting down shipping in the Strait seriously. Nor did he heed warnings that Iran would attack the Gulf oil states as vigorously as it attacked Israel.

The Iranian proposal solved nothing except offering Trump an offramp he desperately needed to stop bombing or have to back off on his threats whether Iran complied or not. Trump’s “basis for further negotiations” is a proposal that supports Iran’s claims of victory. Iran demands acknowledgment of its right to continue refining weapon-grade uranium. It demands the removal of all U. S. military assets from the region, an end to all economic sanctions, and reparations to repair the damage done by American and Israeli bombing, while making no mention of suspending its support for terrorist organizations like Hezbolah, Hamas, and the Houthis. It also insists that the Strait remain under the control of the Iranian military who would have sole discretion over which ships were allowed to pass through, and being able to charge substantial tolls for passage.

This proposal would leave Iran in a stronger strategic and economic position than it was before the war, and it does nothing to relieve the distrust and anger that Trump has spread among allies in Europe, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. The leaders of our allies realize that as long as the United States is led by Trump, they cannot rely on us economically, militarily, or as the world’s leading promoter of democracy and human rights.

Trump ended that era, and depending on whether American voters end his power over Congress in November and replace him with a sane, morally centered president in 2028, those rifts may never heal. And then there is the economic cost of this war. In addition to raising energy costs, we depleted our supply of offensive weapons and the defensive munitions that protect us from incoming drones and missiles to the point that our ability to deter Russian aggression in Ukraine and China’s designs on Taiwan is severely limited. Trump wants Congress to give him $200 billion to replenish them at the expense of domestic programs millions of Americans depend on. Was salving Trump’s ego worth all that?

The better course of action, from the start, would have been convincing our allies and Congress that a joint action to force Iran to change was required. By letting Netanyahu play him into attacking Iran unilaterally, Trump supported the narrative that the world should be dominated by three great powers, Russia, China, and the United States, with everyone else secondary and dependent on them.

The European Union proved that open borders and the elimination of tariffs worked, bringing nations that fought two world wars together in peaceful if not always harmonious cooperation. The last century’s embracing of free trade and economic codependence as opposed to dominance by a few powerful nations has been temporarily sidelined by a worldwide movement toward authoritarianism. But if Trump is either neutralized or removed from office, and leaders like Viktor Orban of Hungary lose power, as Trump seems to fear he will, the world might get back on track for a prosperous, peaceful future.