Analysts warn Trump is 'sleepwalking toward a real catastrophe' with new Iran threat
A political analyst warned on Sunday that President Donald Trump appears to be "sleepwalking toward a real catastrophe" in Iran after his latest threat.
On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran has 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz "without threat," or else the U.S. would strike Iran's largest energy facilities. The threat came about a month after the war in Iran began, which has caused energy prices to spike globally. Iran has also effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 20% of global energy trade, to U.S. trade ships since the war began.
Andrew Egger, White House correspondent for The Bulwark, discussed Trump's new threat in a new episode of "Bulwark Takes" with Sam Stein, the publication's managing editor.
"Maybe he's bluffing. Maybe he's just sort of putting a brave face on it and behind the scenes he's shaking [Defense Secretary] Pete Hegseth by the lapels and saying, 'Find us a way out of this thing immediately,'" Egger said. "I kind of hope he is, but it's possible too that he is actually just sort of sleepwalking us toward a real catastrophe."
Stein noted that Trump's threat to obliterate Iran's energy facilities would come with a significant human toll.
"This is really all kinds of messed up," Stein said.