Comedy of Indignities.

This essay appeared in the May 28, 2026 edition of UNFTR’s premium newsletter. Become a UNFTR member to receive our bonus newsletter each week and for other perks.

With Trump’s illegal, undeclared and wildly exorbitant Iran war boondoggle a colossal failure, it’s fair to wonder: How much more humiliation can President Trump stand?

In this comedy of indignities, Trump plays the leading role, having been dragged by the Iranian AI-Lego machine, responsible for several viral videos that gripped even American audiences, not to mention Iran’s political and military leadership, which has thus far fended off two nuclear-armed countries and gained massive leverage for any future conflicts. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz—which Trump mistakenly (but perhaps aptly) referred to as the “Strait of Iran”—was the trump card (sorry) that the White House incredulously didn’t anticipate or, at the very least, didn’t believe Iran would wield. And now, the war and negotiations are defined disproportionately by disputes over the Strait’s control—the closure of which has walloped energy markets, spiked fuel prices, and inflicted considerable economic damage.

Beyond the obvious humiliations associated with the war, including Iranian leaders eye-rolling at Trump’s threats, the president also faces humiliation from Israel’s far-right government, which has essentially ignored his April decree in which he claimed to put an end to Israel’s ferocious and Gaza-like attack on Lebanon.

In a statement that has seemingly been forgotten by the corporate media, Trump wrote on social media on April 17:

“Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”

“PROHIBITED” (!!!)

Sure, TACO Trump doesn’t often back up what he says—which is a good thing when it comes to military violence—but Israel’s indifference is revealing. Remember: Israel pushed the United States into this war by presenting Trump with a rosy assessment of how the campaign would play out, including the dismantling of Iran’s leadership.

Trump’s April 17 announcement came amid ceasefire talks with Iran and a fragile Israel-Lebanon deal meant to halt the deadly attacks and forced displacement of civilians. A month ago, a cessation of attacks in Lebanon was seen as essential to a broader Iran deal. Alas, the killings haven’t ceased and Israel has recently intensified its attacks on Lebanon, including striking Beirut last week. Lebanese medics have been killed in disproportionate numbers—including during a so-called “double-tap” strike in which medics were responding to an Israel bombing and killing of a father and his daughter.

On the ceasefire front, the United States and Iran remain in talks over a memorandum of understanding—a prelude to a more detailed “peace” agreement—that would reopen the Strait but, critically, may not include Iran’s enriched uranium, according to an Iranian official.

“This issue is not on the agenda of the negotiations,” said Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council—a remarkable development, considering Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program was invoked to justify the war.

Despite the difficulties in reaching a short-term deal with Iran, Trump last week unexpectedly threw yet another wrench into the increasingly complicated process, calling on regional countries to join the Abraham Accords, a controversial pact initially reached by the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain during Trump’s first term. Often billed by the corporate media as a “peace” agreement, the declaration not only sidestepped the “Palestinian issue,” as it’s called, but also functioned as a weapons deal. Trump’s offer last week was promptly ridiculed—including by some major parties in this war, including Gulf countries the United States has been forced to protect, and Pakistan, which has played a critical role in negotiations, representing yet another cause of humiliation for Trump.

“President Donald Trump’s demand that more Muslim-majority countries join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel as part of efforts to end the Iran war is being met by officials in such countries with laughter, dismissal and, often, silence,” Politico reported.

“Upon hearing of Trump’s demands,” the outlet continued, “one former U.S. official sent mock notes to Arab officials congratulating them on joining the Abraham Accords — and received laughter emojis in response.”

Trump revisiting the Abraham Accords is both a sign of his delusions and cruelty when you consider everything that has transpired in the intervening years, most crucially the Palestinian genocide. Considering the rising disapproval over Israel’s war of annihilation in Gaza in the affected countries, any agreement would become an explosive issue, potentially rocking internal politics (unless Trump has dreams of fomenting another Arab Spring and angering his despotic friends in the process).

To be sure, a survey by the Arab Center DC in 2025 found that 87 percent of respondents from Arab countries “oppose recognition of Israel.” As for their reasons, nearly a third cited Israel being a “settler-colonial state occupying Palestine” and another 9 percent pointed to Israel exiling, oppressing, and killing Palestinians. Another 13 percent characterized Israel as an “expansionist state seeking to dominate or occupy countries in the Arab world and control their resources.”

Indeed, it’s been one humiliation after the next for Trump. Of course, war calamities are nothing to snicker at. Don’t forget, this war started with the murder of scores of Iranian children and sparked massive bloodshed across the country. and in Lebanon. The main concern—and that should be in the back of everyone’s mind—is how will Trump react as the ignominy snowballs. On one hand, he could TACO, which would be a great relief to us all. Or he could complete his Mad King arc and decimate Iran and its population, using weapons of death to compensate for the wave of indignities. Nothing would change the fact that this war, as we wrote about earlier this month, continues to be a massive L. And there’s no telling what a deeply insecure strongman-wannabe will do.

Image Source

• The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Changes were made.