Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.
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Notes -
The hostage crisis was formative but not the Cold War?
I think a reading of Trump that's compatible with all of this is that he's a flat-track bully who wants easy wins. Or, more charitably, holds his allies to a higher standard based on the view that they're either more malleable or already possess a large enough collection of military and economic power as to solve regional problems if they would but apply it.
This is why he's so harsh towards allies, including in ways that are unprecedented, but willing to find some deal with people he understands he cannot only coerce. It's easier to coerce Ukraine to sign unto a deal than Russia. At least, that was the theory of the case when he ganged up on Zelensky.
Iran was in a liminal zone: an uppity Third World pissant that did things like kidnap US staff, but a dangerous one as pissants go. So no attack, until it looked incredibly weak.
I don't think Trump wants or expects to be in anything like the sort of generation-defining conflict a war with Iran or the reprisal for the assassination of a US Senator would demand. He wants Venezuela-wins (not a surprise the attack on Iran was after that)
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