Nicolai Haugsted
Military expert admits she is terrified Trump could resort to nuclear weapons as the Iran war drags on.
The growing number of international conflicts has prompted renewed concern about how quickly a regional confrontation could become a much larger military crisis.
Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine, tensions surrounding Taiwan and the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran have raised difficult questions about the stability of international security arrangements.
For Washington, the stakes extend beyond the immediate military consequences. America’s relationships with its allies, its economic interests and its reputation abroad are also part of the debate.
Now, according to The Express, a former professor at the US Naval War College has issued a particularly alarming warning about President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran.
Dr Sarah Paine, a geopolitical strategist and military historian, says she fears the president could eventually resort to a tactical nuclear weapon if the conflict continues without a clear resolution.
Her comments, made during an appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast, represent a warning about a possible escalation rather than evidence that the White House is planning a nuclear strike.
Expert delivers a disturbing warning about Trump
Paine has been sharply critical of the military strategy pursued by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
She described their approach to the Iran conflict as “recreational” and characterized the war as one of the most “incompetent wars in human history.”
Her criticism centers on the wider consequences of the fighting, particularly the economic disruption and damage she believes it has caused to American alliances.
“Let’s do some concepts of how to analyze that. One is, in a war, if you’re doing it right, if you really must have a war, you put all the costs on the person you’re fighting, and then you minimize costs yourself,” she explained.
“Well, this war has trashed the US economy. It has blown the US alliance system. Yes, Iran is hurting without a doubt, but it also has the collateral damage of taking down the world’s economy.”
Paine argued that the consequences could fundamentally change how other countries view Washington.
“So this now transforms the United States to an annoyance to just about everyone’s primary adversary for threatening their economies. That’s breathtakingly incompetent.”
Her assessment is strongly critical of the administration, although the scale of the economic and diplomatic damage remains a matter for analysis rather than an established conclusion.
The Iran conflict has consequences far beyond the battlefield
According to the account published by The Express, the conflict has continued for approximately eight months, with shipping disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz contributing to pressure on global energy markets.
The waterway is strategically important because substantial volumes of oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass through it.
The report also describes Iranian drone and missile attacks against neighboring Gulf states and commercial shipping, alongside activity by the Iran-backed Houthi movement near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Disruption to either maritime route can affect energy supplies, transport costs and international trade.
Paine’s concern is that the United States could face growing pressure to find a decisive way out of a conflict that has already imposed significant costs.
Reports cited in the original account suggest Washington may be considering further military operations after the November 3 midterm elections. However, those reports do not establish that a new offensive has been approved.
Paine fears Trump could eventually use a nuclear weapon
The most serious part of Paine’s warning concerns what might happen if the conflict continues and diplomatic efforts fail.
“As long as Donald Trump and Bibi Netanyahu are in power, what do you think they’re going to do? They’re going to cause trouble until those two people are out of power, right?” she said.
“And so people who want to keep Netanyahu and Trump in power longer, just understand it’s going to make Iran go on longer. And then I’m terrified that Trump will do something like drop a tactical nuke somewhere, and then things are really over.”
She went on to describe the potential damage to America’s international reputation.
“The United States will be forever this despicable country, the only country in the world that’s ever dropped nukes on anyone. Twice on Japan, and then we’re going to do a third on Iran.”
The United States remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons in warfare, having bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Paine’s remarks do not indicate that a nuclear attack on Iran is imminent. They reflect her personal concern about the possibility of further escalation under the current leadership.
Asked directly whether such a scenario was plausible, Paine acknowledged the limits of her assessment.
“I have no idea. If you had told me 10 years ago that where we’re at was even remotely plausible, I would say, ‘You’re insane. What have you been smoking lately?'”
She also pointed to Trump’s confrontational statements about traditional American partners, including Canada and Greenland, as examples of developments she would previously have considered implausible.
