Ted Grimsrud—July 2, 2026

[I have been overwhelmed for several months (my last post was March 2) by the cacophony of voices claiming to explain what is actually going on in the Iran War (and in American foreign policy in general). I have continued to read a fair bit every day from numerous sources. I don’t think I have a huge amount of clarity now, but it does seem objectively to be the case that the US Empire is in trouble. What follows probably won’t provide much clarity for anyone else, but I did finally find enough in my own mind to offer some current thoughts. I hope to write something weekly on these topics for a while, and I invite conversation.]

It seems impossible for a non-connected person to know what’s going on in the current wars of America. And the evidence seems to indicate that US leaders don’t know, either—including people at the very top.

Trump’s dishonesty

I find it embarrassing as an American how dishonest Trump has been ever since the beginning of the US war of aggression on Iran in late February 2026. Even before that, with the unprovoked June 2025 bombing of Iran by first Israel and then the US, Trump without batting an eye claimed that the US had destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities. This straight-out lie was recognized as such at the time by most observers.

We have been treated to the baffling spectacle of Trump claiming day after day that the US was crushing Iran. To the contrary, Iran took some blows but almost immediately retaliated with devasting effect, established control over the Strait of Hormuz, and essentially drove the US military out of the various American military bases in the area. As well, Iran visited as still undisclosed devastation on the Israeli military machine.

Continue reading “The Death Spiral of the American Empire [American Politics #19]” →