Why Trump’s Iran Whiplash Points To Growing Desperation

Mallen Baker: Faultlines · Mar 22, 2026 · 12m

In the course of 24 hours, President Donald Trump went from saying that he was looking at 'winding down' the Iran war, to issuing threats to escalate the crisis should Iran refuse to completely open up the Strait of Hormuz. Such massive whiplash on positions suggest that he is getting increasingly agitated about his options, and is looking around - and testing out publicly - the course of action that will enable him to get out of this situation while credibly claiming victory. But, on that score, nothing much is going his way. Which could be entertaining to watch, except that the consequences…