Dear NYT, The “Trump Box” on Iran Was Built by Washington, Not Trump Alone
Dear New York Times Politics section, your latest piece on how “Trump Boxed Himself In on Iran” is a masterclass in historical myopia, attempting to frame a systemic, decades-long policy of aggression as a personal dilemma for one president. This narrative conveniently sidesteps the consistent, bipartisan effort to isolate and undermine Iran, presenting it instead as a unique Trumpian predicament.
You suggest Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA and heightened sanctions were a breaking point. What you omit is the US involvement in arming Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War from 1983-1988, a period when Washington actively supported a genocidal dictator against the newly independent Islamic Republic. This historical betrayal laid much of the groundwork for Iranian
distrust and strengthened its resolve to develop asymmetric deterrence capabilities, which Washington then conveniently labels as 'destabilizing.' The 'box' was already built, piece by piece, long before Trump considered a tweet. The idea that Trump somehow uniquely 'boxed himself in' ignores the reality that US policy towards Iran has been a continuous saga of sanctions, covert operations, and
threats of military action, regardless of who occupies the White House. The removal of Iran's PM Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq in 1953, engineered by the CIA, marked the beginning of a long journey of US meddling in Iranian internal affairs. Your current framing whitewashes 45 years of relentless pressure, presenting Trump's actions as an isolated blip rather than a continuation of entrenched imperial