The big issue emerging from the US’ 22 June strike on Iran – second only to “wither Iran?” – is whether in Trump’s calculus he can “rhetorically impose” the having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme claim long enough to both restrain Israel from hitting Iran again, yet still allow Trump to pursue his show-stopper headline, “WE WON: I’m in charge now and everybody is going to do what I tell them.” These were the key conflicting issues that were to be hammered out with Netanyahu during his...
