The narratives often suggest that the US campaign has failed and that Tehran remains firmly in control.

In reality, however, US President Donald J. Trump has pursued a strategy that departs radically from decades of precedent — one that has left the Iranian regime cornered in ways not previously seen.

📌 Rather than adhering to the usual norms of the international system, Trump redefined them — combining military force, economic coercion, serious deadlines and diplomatic "off-ramps" in rapid succession — denying Iran the ability to settle into its familiar pattern of adaptation and delay.

📌 Trump met Iran's moves with countermoves that were even stronger, instead of with restraint.

📌 "Trump Time" has transformed warfare. In just two sets of days, in June 2025 then again in February 2026, Iran's core military infrastructure was almost totally obliterated, allowing the focus to shift to sustained economic pressure. Trump's "little excursion" has been one of the fastest, most effective, least costly military operations in modern history.

📌 "Trump Time" also brought negotiation techniques that departed from past practice. Historically, diplomatic engagements with Iran have been lengthy, baroque, often stretching over years to provide Iran with opportunities for delay and recalibration. Trump instituted shorter timelines sown with threats of escalation, evidently to prevent Tehran from using its favorite stalling tactic: forever-talks.

📌 A regime accustomed to orchestrating prolonged cycles of pressure and relief, now finds itself encountering a series of uncowardly, high-impact shocks.

📌 Through his unconventional statecraft, and his breaking from a long run of US failures, Trump – in a blend of military assertiveness, economic pressure and strategic unpredictability – decided to win.

If you listen to the mainstream media, you might come away with the impression that Iran is somehow prevailing — resilient, defiant, and still shaping events across the Middle East. The narratives often suggest that the US campaign has failed and that Tehran remains firmly in control. In reality, however, US President Donald J. Trump has pursued a strategy that departs radically from decades of precedent — one that has left the Iranian regime cornered in ways not previously seen.

Gatestone Institute,  M. Rafizadeh - Read the full Article 

EU fears US leader may skip G7, NATO summits

The G7 summit in France may be held without US President Donald Trump attending in person, and European countries are concerned that his participation via video link could further alienate the US from its allies, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported.

The publication notes that the summit’s host, French President Emmanuel Macron, had previously attempted to secure the US leader’s attendance by moving the event’s date forward by one day, from June 14 - Trump’s birthday - to June 15, before the leaders exchanged critical remarks. The newspaper also recalls that the US sent an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December.

Non-participation in the G7 summit could lead to the White House declining to attend the NATO meeting in Ankara in July. Although the Turkish side has assured its partners that Trump will be present, recent developments and US complaints about allies’ refusal to assist in Iran threaten the format’s integrity, the publication writes.

It highlights numerous "cracks" within the North Atlantic Alliance, including Trump describing it as a "paper tiger." Another sign of tensions was US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dismissing efforts by France and the UK to form a "coalition" in the Strait of Hormuz as ineffective. "All these anti-European sentiments are pushing Trump to ignore the G7," the newspaper writes, recalling that last year the US leader left the summit early and without warning.

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