Trump Loses Control Over Iran War Conflict; Israeli Nuclear Facility Air Defenses Breached

 

Trump Loses Control Over Iran War Conflict; Israeli Nuclear Facility Air Defenses Breached

 

 

President Trump has lost control over his response to the Iran war conflict, and air defenses near an Israeli nuclear facility have been breached for the first time.

 

The New York Times reported on the 22nd, "Iranian state television stated early Sunday morning that Iran's missile attack on the southern Israeli city of Dimona was aimed at the nuclear facility there, which appears to be the first confirmation that Iran's attack on the facility was critical," adding that "Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a social media post, 'It is a very tough evening.'"

 

Reuters reported on the 22th, “Trump, who took office promising that the U.S. would not engage in ‘foolish’ military interventions, now appears unable to control the consequences or message of the conflict he initiated,” adding that “the absence of a clear exit strategy poses a risk to both his presidential legacy and the political prospects of the Republican Party, which is scrambling to defend a narrow majority in Congress in the November midterm elections.”

 

AP reported on the 22nd, “The Israeli military stated that it failed to intercept missiles that struck Dimona and Arad, the largest cities near the sparsely populated center of the Negev Desert,” noting that “this was the first time an Iranian missile had penetrated Israel’s air defense system around a nuclear facility.”

 

Before news of the Arad missile attack spread from X, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated, “If the Israeli regime fails to intercept missiles in the Dimona area, it is a signal that we are entering a new phase of operational combat.”

 

Late on the 21st, Iranian missiles in southern Israel Two communities were struck, shattering buildings and injuring dozens.

 

These two locations occurred near Israel's major nuclear research centers, and President Trump warned that he would "completely destroy" Iranian power plants if the United States did not fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

 

AP reported, "These developments signaled that the war is heading in a dangerous new direction as it enters its fourth week." It added, "On the 20th, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed that Iran attempted to fire two missiles at a joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean, more than 4,000 km from Tehran. While US officials stated that one missile failed to detonate in flight and the other was shot down by a US vessel, such a bold attempt at a long-range attack raised questions about the range of Iranian missiles."

 

AP noted, "One of the Israeli cities hit by missile attacks was Dimona, located 13 km from Israel's major nuclear research center," and added, "Iran also [attacked] joint UK-US operations "The military base in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which was targeted, is about 4,000 kilometers away, suggesting that Tehran may possess missiles capable of going further than previously acknowledged, or that it may have utilized its space program for a makeshift launch," the report stated.

 

Reuters reported, "The limits of Trump's power have been clearly revealed over the past week in diplomatic, military, and political terms," adding, "Analysts say Trump currently stands at a crossroads with no clear indication of which path he will take in Operation Epic Fury."

 

Regarding the setbacks in future strategy, Reuters noted, "Trump could intensify the U.S. offensive with all his might, even occupying Iran's oil hub Kharg Island or deploying troops to the Iranian coast to search for missile launchers, but this would jeopardize a long-term military engagement that the American public would largely oppose." It further noted, "With both sides currently refusing to negotiate, Trump could try to declare victory and back down, but this would alienate Gulf allies and leave only a wounded and hostile Iran." "It could remain, and Iran could pursue crude nuclear weapons and control ships in the Gulf," he stated.

 

Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for both Republican and Democratic administrations, told Reuters, "Trump created the framework for a war with Iran himself and is unable to find a way out of it," adding, "That is the cause of his greatest frustration."

 

The New York Times reported, "Since President Trump began what he now cautiously calls an 'Iran expedition,' Washington has been fixated on the question of when he will finish his mission," adding, "On the evening of the 20th, President Trump, heading to Florida, appeared to be planning the escape that had been the subject of so much discussion, but it is clear he has not yet decided whether to choose that escape."

 

President Trump's shift in the objectives for the war with Iran continued until the evening of the 20th.

 

Just a few days prior, he had urged Israel not to target Iranian energy facilities, but on that day, he suddenly threatened to "attack power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully opened without threat" within 48 hours, and Iran [regarding] 'Israel's nuclear Preparatory measures were shown for an attack on 'facilities.'

 

Trump stated regarding U.S. attacks on Iranian factories that "it will start with the biggest," which appears to refer to the only operational nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran's largest nuclear power plant.

 

The results following three weeks of war appear different from what President Trump had anticipated.

 

Foreign leaders, diplomats, and U.S. officials who spoke with the president told the NYT that he expressed expectations that Iran would surrender during the first week.

 

On the 6th, when the war began, President Trump demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" and set this as the goal.

 

A European diplomat with long experience dealing with Iran told the NYT that this demand was difficult to understand.

 

They cited the long history of warfare, stating, "Because Iran is a rival center of power, a source of national pride, and the Persian state—which has experienced numerous rises and falls since the time of Cyrus the Great around 550 B.C.—has existed within the rough boundaries of modern Iran."

 

Trump referred to Iran as a "crying uncle" to reporters on Air Force One.

 

Regarding the crisis in the energy market The International Energy Agency (IEA) has characterized this as "the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market," leaving President Trump and his aides flustered.

 

The New York Times reported, "Trump aides promised to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but this reserve was only 60%, reflecting a lack of planning." The newspaper added, "Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department issued permits for the transport of Russian and Iranian oil already at sea, and to calm the oil market, President Trump authorized enriching adversaries at war with Ukraine, U.S. allies, and other nations at war with the U.S."

 

Iran clearly declared that disruption in the oil market is its only superweapon, warning on the 21st that it could set fire to other facilities in the Middle East.

 

The United States launched the war knowing that Iran possessed approximately 3,000 sea mines.

 

John F. Kirby, who served as a spokesperson for the Department of Defense and the Department of State after retiring as a naval officer, stated, "If even one of them gets caught in transit, traffic in the strait..." "It will be completely blocked," they said, adding, "fear alone can paralyze the shipping industry." "As we have already seen, that is the case," he told Reuters.

 

President Trump personally requested that Japan dispatch mine-clearing vessels, but the actual U.S. military possesses only four mine-clearing ships stationed in Bahrain. With all 100 crew members on board transferred to each vessel, two ships—the USS Tulsa and the USS Santa Barbara—were spotted far from the Middle East, between Malaysia and Singapore.

An official told the NYT, “Bahrain’s mine-clearing vessels have now disappeared and been replaced by three mine-clearing littoral combat ships, which are also being used for other purposes.”
The New York Times reported, "U.S. officials are divided on whether Iran has already begun laying mines in the strait," adding, "While intelligence authorities answered affirmatively, Defense Department officials say they have not found clear evidence."

Prior to the decision to deploy troops, Representative Kim Byung-joo (former Deputy Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command) under the Lee Jae-myung administration stated to Channel A that "mines have not been laid."
Iran’s various naval mines range from small limpet mines containing a few pounds of explosives that divers install directly onto a ship’s hull and detonate after a set time, to large moored mines floating just below the surface that release over 100 pounds of explosive force upon contact with a vessel, and more advanced "bottom" mines located on the seabed that combine magnetic, acoustic, pressure, and seismic sensors to explode upon impact with hundreds of pounds when a ship is nearby.

 

In the third week of the Iran war, amidst the greatest crisis, global energy prices are soaring, the U.S. is isolated from its allies, and more troops are being prepared for deployment despite his initial promise that the war with Iran would be merely a "short outing."

 

Trump claimed the operation was proceeding as planned, accusing European nations of being "cowards" for their defensive stance, compounded by other countries that refused to secure the Strait of Hormuz; however, on the 20th, he unilaterally declared that "the battle was a military victory."

 

This stood in contrast to the reality of Iran's resistance, which is cutting off oil and gas supplies to the Gulf region and launching missile attacks.

 

Reuters reported that "a source close to the discussions said some White House aides advised Trump to quickly find an 'exit' and limit the scope of the military operation," adding that "some analysts believe the allies' refusal stems not only from their reluctance to be drawn into a war they were not even consulted on, but also from the traditional U.S. alliances since taking office 14 months ago." Pointing out that "the backlash against the disparagement is also being reflected," it was described as a "deviation from the alliance."

 

John Bass, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Turkey, told Reuters regarding the Trump camp, "They failed to adequately consider the contingency of a situation where the conflict with Iran might not go according to plan."

 

Regarding the crisis of the Trump administration, Reuters stated, "As the conflict drags on, frustration over Trump's inability to control the narrative is growing," adding, "In recent days, he has strongly criticized the media and leveled baseless 'treason' charges against reports he views as undermining the war effort."

 

Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy advisor to the Obama administration and currently the head of a Situation Room strategy consulting firm in Washington, told Reuters, "He is struggling to lead the news cycle as usual," adding, "This is because he still cannot explain why he led this country to war and what comes next; he seems to have lost his sense of message delivery."

 

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, more than 480 oil tankers are stranded in the Gulf of Oman on one side of the Strait of Hormuz, and more than 300 are on standby.
Other than the strait, there is no alternative maritime route out of the Persian Gulf.
There are pipelines to get the oil out, and more oil is being pumped through those pipelines, but we can't transport as much oil through the strait as ships can.
NYT reported on the 14th, “There have been attempts by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to bypass the strait,” and “but pipelines passing through these countries can transport only a small portion of the energy produced in the Persian Gulf.”
Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, as special envoy of the President, announced 9 oil tankers (6 Korean and 3 UAE) to Korea through an 'alternative route securing MOU' with the UAE, but did not announce the enormous time required for shipment through the pipeline, which appears to be an unrealistic strategic propaganda.
See <Lee Jae-myeong UAE's 'blockade-breaking Trump supply and demand model' Kang Hoon-sik's media 'securing crude oil' falsification, March 19, 2026>

<Iran and Israel Dimona Nuclear Facility 'Attack' Drone Attack Rights Patriot ‘Limitations’, March 5, 2026>

<Trump Fails to Achieve Early Regime Change in Iran, ‘Long-Term War’, Overseas Weapons ‘Activated’, March 2, 2026>

<Trump’s Reckless Inducement of War Negotiations, Late-Night Social Media Bombing, Regime Change ‘Amplified’, March 1, 2026>