Donald Trump is once again taking a hard line against Iran in a military operation with an uncertain destination. In 2020, he ordered the execution of a high-ranking general from Tehran, but the situation did not escalate into a full-blown war, and yet, the president lost the presidential election to Joe Biden. Now, again in an election year, the president insists on his intention to liquidate the Iranian government, this time in a coordinated attack with Israel that has been rocking the Middle East since this Saturday. Once again, with Iran as the backdrop, Trump is putting his centrality in the Republican party at stake. The party has lost elections since November—the most dramatic setback being in Miami—and the 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) movement, which does not support foreign military interventions, holds significant sway within it. On Saturday, central figures of the movement, such as commentators Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon, spoke out against the attack on Iran. Understandable: last November, municipal elections were held in North Carolina, and the Democrats swept the board. This week, he delivered the 'State of the Union' address and only at the 90-minute mark did he speak about Iran, demanding the absolute end of its nuclear program. Phil Berger, the leader of Republican state senators and a usual Trump ally, who will compete in a primary on March 3, told The Washington Post this week that he was not considering asking for public support from the president.
