From peaceful President to Warmonger.
By Derimot - Peter Haenseler - June 17, 2025
On June 11, the Financial Times took pains to prove that these attacks were carried out by artificial intelligence, without Western help. Perhaps the FT should stick to financial news – this was pure propaganda without a shred of evidence. A feeble attempt to keep the Americans out – without their help the attack would not have been possible.
The day before the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, Ukraine attacked aircraft from Russia’s strategic bomber fleet with drones hidden in trucks smuggled into Russia. We reported on this in the article “ Operation Spiderweb: Ukraine and NATO’s attack on Russia – a new Pearl Harbor? Full escalation? Are the fanatics back? Facts and analysis.” The military damage was negligible; what remained was a propaganda victory for the West – nothing more.
On June 11, the Financial Times took pains to prove that these attacks were carried out by artificial intelligence, without Western help.
A major Israeli attack on Iran followed shortly after. The Times of Israel boasted that the US, along with the Israelis, had conducted a multi-layered disinformation campaign to make the Iranians believe that an attack was not imminent. This report is credible, as Trump made no attempt to hide US complicity in the Israeli attack on Iran later that week.
But that's not all – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied US participation, stating:
"Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in the attacks against Iran, and our top priority is to protect American forces in the region."
— Marco Rubio, June 13, 2025
This shows that Americans are undoubtedly involved in this deadly game, and that the Trump administration is unable to even coordinate internally. Not exactly a sign of professionalism.
A few hours ago, there was a U-turn from Trump:
It is clear that it is no longer possible to know what the President of the United States really thinks or does. What a pleasure it must be to negotiate with such a person.
Unclear developments in the Middle East
We can state with grim certainty that it is now entirely possible that the latest chapter in the series of wars the US has started has begun in the Middle East. See our article “Carnage Changes the World – Part 2 – 9/11” , where General Wesley Clark gave insight into the US’s true plans and intentions back in 2007:
General Clark on military strategy after the September 11 attacks
The targets were: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan – and finally Iran.
( Source: Clark interview on Democracy Now! )
Instead of the five years that the US originally planned to “calm down” these countries, it has now taken almost 25 years. But it seems that the Americans have finally fulfilled Netanyahu’s wish – he has wanted to attack Iran for 25 years.
Netanyahu rejoices – goal achieved!
A few weeks ago, in the article “Everything is possible – unfortunately” , I considered the fire smoldering around Iran to be non-critical. In my analysis, I assumed that the Americans were not naive enough to allow themselves to be drawn into a catastrophic war based on delusions and Netanyahu’s dreams of empire. Perhaps I was the naive one.
It is not yet clear how many escalation levels will be exceeded in the coming days. However, after this attack, Iran will have to respond militarily – in a way that gives both the Americans and the Israelis existential concerns. The Americans fear for their presence in the Middle East, and the Israelis for their existence as a state.
It seems that Iran is in principle capable of inflicting enormous damage on both the United States and Israel, since – unlike Israel and the United States – it has hypersonic missiles. We will soon see whether they actually decide to use them – and whether they really have this striking power.
"Rational thinking takes you past the deathbed of diplomacy and straight onto the wrong track."
Diplomacy on its deathbed – from peace president to warmonger
The danger of this conflict developing into a deadly battle between two nations should not be dismissed lightly. Netanyahu has always been a psychopath and a sociopath; the genocide in Gaza is proof of this. Now this megalomaniac man also finds himself in a serious political and health crisis. He will therefore have no problem setting the entire Middle East, his own homeland – indeed, even the entire world – on fire.
Americans are known to grossly overestimate themselves; the endless string of lost wars since 1945 is proof enough. Add to that the sinister influence of the Zionists on American foreign policy. I refrain from using rational arguments to predict future developments. Rational thinking takes you past the deathbed of diplomacy and straight down the wrong track.
How will Russia react?
Russian trust in the United States has already taken a hit as a result of the Ukrainian drone attack, but the Russians are continuing their diplomatic efforts without feeling any pressure – time is on Russia’s side. The longer the war in Ukraine lasts, the less of Ukraine will remain.
The relationship between Iran and Russia is close. Both are full members of BRICS and SCO , and good relations benefit both parties – also through the NSTC (North-South Transport Corridor). Russia will support Iran in this conflict, diplomatically, logistically and possibly also with arms deliveries. If there is a war between the US and Iran, I doubt that Russia will go to war on Iran’s side – that would make a third world war a fact.
How will China react?
China also has close ties to Iran, both via BRICS, SCO and as a recipient of Iranian oil. China's dependence on Iranian oil is significant, but not critical. The country mainly imports oil from Russia and Saudi Arabia. I exclude that China will go to war on Iran's side – for the same reasons as for Russia.
Strait of Hormuz
If Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, it will cause instability in Western financial markets – which could be dangerous. Hormuz is the world's most important oil transport route. 20% of the world's production passes through this strait. Oil prices shot up 14% on Friday and closed 7% higher. If the strait is blocked, oil prices could reach $150 to $200 a barrel – poison for already unstable financial markets.
Diplomacy on its deathbed
When Donald Trump took office for his second term, he promised his people—and the world—that he would not only create peace but also prevent wars. These were not empty promises, but probably lies.
While it was still possible to speculate about Trump's personal knowledge of the drone attack on Russia, the mask completely fell off on the Iran issue. The faint hope in Moscow and Tehran that Donald Trump actually wanted a peaceful solution has now been shattered. Although Trump would like to make deals, he does not seek a diplomatic solution – he puts forward conditions that are unacceptable to the other side and tries to "convince" through the use of pure force.
In addition, he uses dirty tricks to mislead both Iran and Russia. Iran is led to believe that no attack is imminent, and the Ukrainian attack takes place the day before the negotiations in Istanbul – fully known and probably coordinated by the Americans.
The damage inflicted on Iran by the Israelis appears significant, as several high-ranking officers in Iran's armed forces are said to have been intentionally killed. The damage inflicted on Russia by Ukraine, however, is of no military significance. The greatest damage has been done to diplomacy .
“Trusting the US is incredibly naive”
In a brilliant interview with Judge Napolitano , John Mearsheimer said what the world must now get used to:
“Any state in the world that trusts the United States is incredibly naive.”
— John J. Mearsheimer, June 13, 2025
Henry Kissinger is credited with the following apt phrase:
"It can be dangerous to be America's enemy - but deadly to be America's friend."
Other conflicts – and trade wars
In addition to the military conflicts, Trump is also stoking other wars – such as the trade war with China and many other countries. These are unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. Three days ago, Trump announced:
"Our deal with China is complete, subject to final approval by President Xi and me."
— Donald Trump
But this is typical Trump bragging. No deal has been made, and Chinese enthusiasm seems very modest. The South China Morning Post reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not travel to the United States in September, despite an invitation – which would have been the first opportunity for a meeting. It is now June, and the paper assumes that the meeting will possibly take place in November. This is what you call a cold shower from Beijing.
Maybe I was wrong about Iran
Perhaps I was wrong in my risk assessment of Iran, but what I wrote in the article “ Mar-a-Lago will fail – nothing works without credibility” from May 7 seems more relevant than many people like. I argued that the biggest problem for the United States – and the entire collective West – is unstable financial markets.
A new global economic order can only be created through negotiations with many partners. The time when the United States could dictate to the rest of the world what should happen is over. The US position of power from the Bretton Woods negotiations no longer exists, and Trump has shown in recent days that he deserves no goodwill.
Conclusion
The Trump administration's behavior in recent days confirms all those who have had no confidence in the hegemon – despite the apparent "turnaround" in Washington.
I don't know to what extent a bloody, years-long war between Israel and Iran can be prevented. The Iranians will no longer trust the Americans, and the Americans will probably soon realize that they allowed themselves to be dragged into this war by Netanyahu. A war that could not only cause lasting damage to the Middle East and Western financial markets – but also has a potential I would rather not write about.
The Russians will continue to negotiate professionally – both with Ukraine and with the US. From the Russian perspective, the form should be maintained. But they have no illusions about any negotiated peace. They are creating facts on the battlefield and will accept a Ukrainian capitulation when the time is right.
In the long run, however, it will be the United States that will be the biggest loser in this propaganda theater staged by Donald Trump. Even the greatest optimists will not trust the United States for long. Realists have known it for a long time: History shows that no country has broken more treaties than the United States. Between 1778 and 1871, the United States signed around 368 treaties with various indigenous peoples in North America. How did they fare?
About the author
Peter Hanseler is a geopolitical analyst based in Moscow. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, he holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Zurich and an LL.M. from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He has lived in the United States, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and Russia. His work is independent and not supported by state or private actors.
The website voicefromrussia.com publishes content in English, Russian, and German.
Cover image is AI-generated by AI-ChatGPT4o-T.Chr.
The text represents the author's opinion, not necessarily that of www.derimot.no.
Editor Comments.
The Jews in Palestine have been killing and causing destruction since they were given refuge following WWII. Don't let the President support them any longer. He is supposed to support ALL the population, not just 2.5% Jews.