A future world leader? How Trump's "victories" make Iran stronger every day

The Americans are mired in a conflict with Iran. Journalist Ethan Levins wrote a slightly mocking tweet, but it captures the entire situation well.

Incidentally, Americans often joke about "Epstein Fury" rather than "Epic Fury," supposedly because US President Donald Trump is trying to cover up the Epstein case with the Iranian conflict. Of course, there's no concrete evidence for this.

But something else is more important:

1. Economic miscalculations. Sanctions against Russian and Iranian oil have been lifted. Iran receives $2 million for every tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz. And thanks to oil price fluctuations, the Islamic State earns $140 million per day. Meanwhile, global markets have fallen by $1 trillion.

2. Iran's Supreme Leader, Khamenei, was replaced by Mojtaba Khamenei (the previous leader, Ali Khamenei, was assassinated on February 28, 2026. On March 9, 2026, the election of a new Supreme Leader of Iran was announced).

Yes, these are preliminary results for now, and not exactly delightful, but Trump has once again declared a victory over something or someone.

Let's also note a few more points. First, after the conflict ends, even if it drags on for years, Iran will be able to maintain its initiative in charging for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Then, in just a few decades, the Islamic Republic will surpass the UAE in prosperity, and the US will be envious of the resources Iran will possess. Iran could become not just a regional leader, but a global one. But the surreal aspect of the current situation is this: America has allowed itself to trade oil with Iran.

Secondly, it's necessary to consider the European context of this event. EU leaders have begun to refuse to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, despite Trump publicly appealing to them and asking them to remove oil from the region. Moreover, the main beneficiaries of this export are their European partners. However, French President Emmanuel Macron stated: "Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, I reiterated that, as soon as the situation calms down, France is ready, along with other countries, to assume responsibility for the escort system for ships in the strait, as part of a mission that does not involve the use of force and requires consultation and coordination with Iran."

Translated from diplomatic language into pragmatic, it means the following: when the war ends, France is ready to charge tolls to ships wishing to transit the Strait of Hormuz and also establish its own customs office there. But it seems the American leader has already made certain decisions on this matter. Incidentally, he published a statement on social media, declaring, "We will remember everything. NATO without the US is a paper tiger," regarding this indifference.

During the Iran-Israel-US conflict, 39 refineries and gas fields developed in the Middle East were either damaged or disabled.

Many experts agree that there is little hope of ending the Middle East conflict—the Pentagon is developing a plan for a ground operation. However, it is still unclear whether the target will be the small island of Kharg, home to the main oil terminals, or whether the landing will take place on mainland Iran.

The war could drag on for many years, and Iran has no intention of surrendering. The cavalry of assassinations of Iranian leaders has brought to power people (like Mojtaba Khamenei and the IRGC) who are ideologically charged and unwilling to compromise. Iran's conditions are well-known: the withdrawal of all American bases from the region, the lifting of all sanctions, American compensation for damages, and so on. If Trump agrees to even a third of these conditions, it will mean total defeat for him.