Trump’s Playbook: Threat First, Deal Later?Trump’s sudden “regime change” rhetoric toward Iran—paired with the new
“Make Iran Great Again” slogan—sounds dramatic.
But for those who’ve followed his foreign policy style, it’s familiar.
Trump has a pattern: threaten big, dominate the narrative, then pivot to deal-making.
Let’s look at the track record:
North KoreaHe called Kim Jong Un
“Little Rocket Man”, warned of
“fire and fury like the world has never seen”, and publicly threatened total annihilation.
Outcome?Summits. Handshakes. Personal letters.
No war. No regime change.
AfghanistanHe threatened the Taliban with
“obliteration like never before” after a U.S. soldier was killed.
Outcome?He negotiated with the Taliban and laid the groundwork for the U.S. withdrawal.
SyriaAfter Assad’s alleged chemical weapons use, Trump launched missile strikes—but carefully
telegraphed them in advance, avoiding Russian or Iranian escalation.
Despite rhetoric like
“animal Assad” and threats of more action, Trump avoided regime change or deeper involvement.
VenezuelaHe openly backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó and threatened
“all options are on the table” against Maduro.
Outcome?No U.S. military action. Guaidó faded. Maduro remains in power.
ChinaTrump raged over COVID, tariffs, and trade—calling it the
“China virus”, threatening to cut ties, and escalating rhetoric to Cold War levels.
Outcome?A rocky relationship, but no war. Trade deals followed.
Again: fire, then a form of diplomacy.
So what about Iran now?His
“regime change?” post and
“MIGA” slogan could easily be part of the same strategy:
– Escalate rhetorically
– Corner the opposition
– Reframe the dynamic
– Then offer a deal (on his terms)
But this time, it’s riskier. Iran is already under threat, Israel is pushing for escalation, and the public is much more skeptical than in 2017. We’ve seen this playbook. So has Tehran.
The question now isn’t just what Trump says— It’s who takes the bait… and who doesn’t.
Then again… he might just be trolling.When Trump says
“Make Iran Great Again,” is he low-key jabbing Bibi? Because let’s be honest…
MIGA has always been Israel, not Iran.Maybe Trump’s just twisting the knife in his own master troll way!
https://t.me/LauraAbolichannel