Iran 2026: The War That Should Never Have Begun

Iran War 2026:

The War That Should Never Have Begun

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN 4/12/2026

News OP/ED

It has been forty-three days since Trump, Hegseth, and the Trump administration started the unnecessary war on Iran. Even with mediation and supposed agreements, now, a glimpse of a cease-fire, we barely see a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. Between the lies and flip-flopping, the turmoil Mr. Trump has caused people in America (and the world), the insane, juvenile, and offensive Truth Social posts, and the wasting of trillions of dollars, he has Americans on an emotional, mental, and financial roller coaster ride.

How many times has Mr. Trump promised the war would be done tomorrow or by the week's end? How many times has Mr. Trump claimed a deal has been made? How many times has he made excuses? How many times has he lied? It is dizzying.

The conservative side of the Republican Party cannot seem to grasp how angry 58%+ (update as of 4/28/2026) of American citizens—the voters—are with the President, VP, SCOTUS, and the entire Trump administration. And it is not only Americans: most of the developed world is disgusted by Trump and his team of "losers and stupid people," scratching their heads, wondering why American citizens have not forced impeachment.

The modern Republican seems to enjoy inflicting pain on voters. The destruction caused by and happening under their watch; the only explanation that makes sense to this writer is that these people choose to be obtuse and ignorant, and alongside that, or on its own, are greedy and selfish. I am sure for some GOP members it is more cowardice than the aforementioned, but either way, they are not listening to the majority of Americans or taking action on behalf of American citizens.

Republicans also appear to be ignoring international allies who have been speaking out against Mr. Trump and the choices and actions taken by the US since January 2025, never mind the threats of war crimes coming from the Presidential office that they brush off. Has anyone else noticed that the only world leaders who actually support the tornado that is Trump and his administration, upending the developed (and undeveloped) world, are as disagreeable as Mr. Trump? The obvious example is Mr. Netanyahu.

I agree with the comments Hakeem Jeffries made when talking to NBC:

 “Donald Trump has gotten us involved in this reckless war of choice without any plan. Billions of dollars are being spent every day to drop bombs in the Middle East when Donald Trump, as a candidate, promised to never get us involved in this type of conflict.”

A question: if Democrats are so upset, why have those in Congress not done more? It is pretty wild to this Gen Xer that one of the oldest members of the Democratic Party (Bernie Sanders) has done more than my generation—Gen X—the generation that rules the House; this Gen Xer recently came to the realization that her generation is a main supporter of Trump and the unacceptable and horrid things that have happened in the United States since January 2025. I never thought I would be embarrassed by and disgusted with my generation, but since learning Gen X is the majority in the House, second in line in the Senate, and Gen X'ers are the main Trump voters... I want to know how/why we became such a conservative generation. Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson told Politico (2022), “If you first became aware of politics during the Reagan/Bush/Clinton era, you’re more likely to lean a bit more to the right.” But that does not make sense to this baby Gen Xer who is a pragmatic progressive moderate.

As Mr. Trump asks for trillions more to fight his war in Iran, deluding himself into believing he is the one holding the cards, necessary programs for American citizens are cut, like healthcare and Medicare. More federal employees have been and are being let go, all to help supplement war funds. On the economic side, the war is causing prices to have huge swings across the board (mostly negative), and Mr. Trump's comment was that it is a "very small price to pay." The thing is, it is a very large price to pay for most Americans.

Trump's choices and actions are hurting Americans on all levels and in every direction. He continues to destroy the country (economy, international relationships, American communities, and so much more), even though he was the reason for two of the largest protests in American history; he is, or chooses to be, blinded by his narcissism and greed.

I keep asking myself, where are our fiscal conservatives when we actually need them? They should have been and should be screaming bloody murder about the incredible amount of money that Trump and his administration have wasted over the last 16 months.

According to the New York Times, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, recently stated on X that releasing Iran's frozen assets is a prerequisite for negotiations. Although he didn't specify what blocked assets meant, it's known that Iranian funds are often frozen due to U.S. and Western sanctions. He also insisted that Lebanon be included in the truce, a demand Iran has repeatedly made. Of course, Trump made a passively threatening retort on Truth Social, "The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short-term extortion of the world by using international waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!" Once again admitting he still plans to commit war crimes if he does not get his way. What I think Trump needs to realize is that the U.S. holds no cards, but I will not hold my breath.

Yesterday, (NYT) international reporter, Farnaz Fassihi shared, "While the U.S.-Iran talks on Saturday have not yet resulted in a diplomatic breakthrough, the fact that the head of Iran’s Parliament met face to face with the American Vice President is still extraordinary given the long history of animosity between the two nations. Just six weeks ago, American and Israeli airstrikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iranian officials pledged to avenge his blood. But on Saturday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament and a powerful military and political figure, shook hands with Vice President JD Vance, according to two senior Iranian officials, who described the mood of the meeting as cordial and calm." Will Vance be the one to make headway? We can hope, because, according to the New York Times, "The Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 1,701 civilians, including 254 children, had been killed in Iran as of Wednesday." And, as of now, thirteen American service members have died. That's 1,714 people lost because Trump's administration, Hegseth, (and Israel) decided to start a war that should never have begun. Katie Rogers, White House reporter, shared, "As negotiations continue in Pakistan, Trump said it did not matter to him if a deal with Iran is reached or not. 'We win, regardless,' he said. 'We’ve defeated them militarily.'" It does not seem that way to me... Death Toll Update: "Iran's forensic medicine organization has identified 3,375 bodies, including about 500 females, during U.S.-Israeli strikes on the country, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Sunday. The agency said among the dead were seven children under 1 year old, 255 between ages 1 and 12, and 121 between 13 and 18." - Xinhua News Agency (CGTN, China), 20:59, 4/12/2026

Update: 4/28/2026

While Trump appears to hem and haw on Iran’s proposed deal, his administration is actively weakening the effort with new sanctions. CBS explains: "The Treasury said Iranian banks rely on private companies, called ‘rahbars,’ to make payments for sanctioned trades through shell company accounts at foreign banks. These payments often support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company, and other sanctioned groups."

At the same time, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced it will leave the international oil group OPEC. UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei told Reuters, "This is a policy decision, made after closely reviewing current and future production plans." Let’s say, a business decision.

Update: 4/29/2026… Over 60 Days Later.

As I watch the Pentagon budget hearing, Mr. Hegseth’s lack of understanding, his refusal to answer questions, and his condescending defensiveness and lies show once again how unfit he is for the role he holds and abuses. It aligns with the behavior seen across the Trump administration. Is Mr. Hegseth as Abraham was to God... Bad dad joke.

Question: With the ongoing war in Iran (if not for any other reason), why aren’t Americans demanding answers about the enormous cost to taxpayers? Mr. Trump has spent billions and is now asking for billions more. Public services and taxpayer money are being siphoned into the Iran War. This is not an exaggeration or a writer being dramatic. This is the current reality for Americans.

Update: 5/4/2029... Project Freedom

AKA Project Let's Act Like We Are Helping and Hope People Forget We Started The War On Iran That Should Never Have Begun.

Direct from CentCom.mil:

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin supporting Project Freedom, May 4, to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

"The mission, directed by the President, will support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor. A quarter of the world’s oil trade at sea and significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products are transported through the strait.

“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.

Last week, the U.S. Department of State announced a new initiative, in partnership with the Department of War, to enhance coordination and information sharing among international partners in support of maritime security in the strait. The Maritime Freedom Construct aims to combine diplomatic action with military coordination, which will be critical during Project Freedom.

U.S. military support to Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members."

By all accounts, drones, missiles, and rockets are going off like fireworks. Everyone is winning. Everyone is losing. The reality is that it is one giant cluster f-bomb over there - water, air, and land: US, Iran, Israel, UAE, Lebanon, and even whispers of attacks from neighboring countries/states, like Oman. (I don't know why, but) It is hard to believe that the United States of America started this multi-country/state war that should never have begun. What might be harder to believe is that this won't end anytime soon. It will continue to waste trillions of taxpayer dollars, taking necessary programs and assistance, causing an economic roller coaster ride; Americans, though, will continue to be (one or a combination thereof) apathetic, lazy, and (by definition) ignorant, putting up with it, complaining the whole way, "Is it done yet?" Like kids bored on a road trip, "Are we there yet?" What makes it worse is that most Americans do not seem to care about the negative effect this war is having on the rest of the world. They seemingly care only about themselves and their immediate circle.

Update: 5/10/2026: We will let Mr. Trump's Truth Social Posts do the majority of the work for me.

Once again, President Biden is being dragged through the mud for no reason other than Mr. Trump's attempt to make himself "look" to be the better President.

Once again, Mr. Trump is twisting facts about the Iran Deal, and, of course, once again hinting that President Obama was/is a terrorist, and now it seems President Obama also jettisoned America's "allies to give Iran a major and very new powerful lease on life." Here is the truth:

The United States and the world’s major powers — the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia, and the European Union — and Iran sat around the negotiating table month after month, negotiating every detail that would inch us ever-closer to delivering on a promise President Obama had made before he first took office. Then, on July 14, 2015, with a shared commitment to peace, the United States and our international partners announced we had secured a nuclear deal that would achieve the necessary: Verifiably prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. - The Obama White House

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqCswpINDTA

Sources: New York Times, CNBC, Al Jazeera, MS NOW, CentCom, .gov, CNN, Yahoo News, The Obama White House Archives