Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773800126680IMG_7028.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The US president is paying the price for having joined Israel&#x27;s side without a mandate, or consulting either Congress or his other global allies. Angela Weiss &amp; Al-Rubaye/AFP/File</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>WASHINGTON, United States — Having failed to clearly define an objective or exit strategy—and sell the American public on a new war in Iran—President Donald Trump finds himself at an impasse, mere weeks into the conflict.</p><p>Add to that the high-profile protest resignation of a senior US counterterrorism official on Tuesday, who said publicly that the Islamic republic posed &quot;no imminent threat to our nation&quot; and he couldn&#x27;t &quot;in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/18/senior-us-counterterrorism-official-resigns-to-protest-iran-war-0012">Senior US counterterrorism official resigns to protest Iran war</a></div><p>Trump has repeatedly said Iran has been &quot;decimated&quot; by American and Israeli strikes, indicating he is in the position to declare victory.</p><p>But the Republican leader has not gone that far—and for good reason.</p><p>It takes both sides to end a war, unless an opponent capitulates.</p><p>Iran, though severely weakened militarily and politically by an onslaught of airstrikes that began February 28, has voiced no intention to surrender.</p><p>While Trump has said the US has destroyed the Iranian navy, its ballistic missiles and legions of its leadership, US media has reported that he failed to fully anticipate Iran&#x27;s remaining capacity for broad-ranging retaliation.</p><p>That may be where the real problem lies for Trump.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/18/us-does-not-need-help-from-allies-on-iran-trump-says-0117">US does &#x27;not need&#x27; help from allies on Iran, Trump says</a></div><p>As the war entered its third week, oil prices soared as violence spread throughout the Middle East, from Lebanon to the Gulf -- including attacks on the hard-won US embassy in Iraq.</p><p>As such, the US president is paying the price for having joined Israel&#x27;s side without a mandate, or consulting either Congress or his other global allies.</p><p>Europeans and other allies politely refused Trump&#x27;s requests for aid in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf waterway that has been effectively blocked by Iran.</p><p>On Tuesday, Trump reversed course, saying he no longer needed their help.</p><p>In a rare admission, Trump said Monday that he was surprised by the Iranian reprisals targeting Gulf countries -- from Saudi Arabia to Qatar -- despite Tehran&#x27;s repeated warnings.</p><p>&quot;They weren&#x27;t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East,&quot; Trump said of Iran. &quot;Nobody expected that. We were shocked.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DIPLOMATIC STALEMATE </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a recent newsletter that &quot;while the United States initiated this conflict on its own, it will require both Israel and Iran to sign on to stopping it.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The longer this war goes on, the more the balance between its costs and benefits shifts toward the former,&quot; Haass, a former US diplomat in George W. Bush&#x27;s administration, added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/17/western-allies-push-back-on-trump-call-for-nato-help-to-reopen-hormuz-0056">Western allies push back on Trump call for NATO help to reopen Hormuz</a></div><p>For the United States, beyond weakening Iran over the long-term, victory means resuming maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to restore global oil supplies, and an end to Tehran&#x27;s attacks on its neighbors.</p><p>Many observers say this will not be possible through military force alone.</p><p>The diplomatic path has narrowed significantly, but it remains an option, and will depend in part on the Islamic republic&#x27;s goodwill.</p><p>The question remains, who will come to the table?</p><p>&quot;There are no clean options at this point, only less bad ones,&quot; Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, told AFP via email.</p><p>&quot;The most realistic path is a negotiated de-escalation that allows all sides to save face. The US can claim it degraded Iran&#x27;s capabilities, while Iran claims it absorbed the pressure and demonstrated it can retaliate,&quot; Toossi said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/2/23/what-does-trump-want-in-iran-1210">What does Trump want in Iran?</a></div><p>More broadly, he added, &quot;Persian Gulf stability ultimately requires some degree of accommodation with Iran.&quot;</p><p>Mona Yacoubian, the Middle East program director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the region is &quot;currently living their &#x27;nightmare scenario.&#x27;&quot;</p><p>&quot;Gulf governments will need to find a way forward that acknowledges Iran&#x27;s enduring regional presence,&quot; she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/17/israel-says-killed-iran-national-security-chief-larijani-2108">Israel says killed Iran national security chief Larijani</a></div><p>Until then, America&#x27;s allies are not hiding their frustration.</p><p>German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday the US war against Iran is not a NATO matter, nor will Berlin join the war or help clear transit in the Strait of Hormuz.</p><p>Merz stressed talks to find a diplomatic solution can&#x27;t begin until Israel and the United States say they have achieved their military objectives.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yka6lvhVc7U?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6PrhR1vtP_c?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4tcMaMc7sxU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGrY4BanZFk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></strong></div>

<p>The US president is paying the price for having joined Israel's side without a mandate, or consulting either Congress or his other global allies.</p>

The US president is paying the price for having joined Israel's side without a mandate, or consulting either Congress or his other global allies.

Trump faces impasse over Iran war

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Trump faces impasse over Iran war

Léon Bruneau,

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 18, 2026 10:19 AM PHT

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