It's nearly three weeks since the demos started on recent Dec 29 and Mr Trump's threats are getting old. A full-scale invasion might do the trick, but Donald Trump couldn't put "boots on the ground" even if he wanted to. As usual with Mr Trump, it was "speak first and think later", but his long delay before acting suggests that he has finally grasped the nature of the difficulty. It's doubtful that Mr Trump has bothered to learn much about either Iran or the history of revolutions, but his political instincts are good. Mr Trump has promised too much already to do absolutely nothing about the massacre of protesters in Iran, but he should do the absolute minimum he thinks he can get away with.

Source: Bangkok Post January 16, 2026 23:35 UTC