WANA (Jun 12) – According to a review of publicly available data from Donald Trump’s speeches and posts on the Truth Social platform from the start of the war with Iran (February 28) through today (June 12), a striking pattern of repeated and unsubstantiated claims has emerged:

 

  • 55 declarations of Iran’s “defeat”
  • 35 assertions of Iran’s “total destruction”
  • 38 promises of an “imminent agreement”
  • 25 claims that the Strait of Hormuz remains “open”

 

These statements stand in contrast to developments on the ground, which reportedly include continued Iranian missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases across the region, the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz (allegedly confirmed by satellite imagery), and the failure of any of the promised “decisive victories” to materialize. An old saying in American politics goes: “Elect a clown, expect a circus.”

People ride past an anti-U.S. billboard depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran, Iran, May 30, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

“Repetition Is a Sign of Desperation”: Why Does Trump Keep Talking About “Victory”?

In political psychology, the compulsive repetition of a claim that contradicts observable reality is often associated with cognitive dissonance and an attempt to escape uncomfortable facts. Trump, who entered office promising to “end endless wars,” now finds himself entangled in a conflict that has not only continued but has expanded across the region.

 

Each time satellite images allegedly showing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz or reports of casualties at U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain emerge, he appears compelled to calm public opinion by repeating hollow slogans.

 

The claim of Iran’s “defeat” has reportedly been repeated 55 times, despite assertions that Iran has not been defeated and has instead imposed what some describe as a “new deterrence equation” on the region.

 

“The Destruction of Iran”: A Phrase the Battlefield Does Not Confirm

Trump has claimed 35 times that “Iran has been destroyed.” Yet, according to reports cited by his critics, less than 24 hours after one of those statements, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched dozens of ballistic missiles at U.S. military installations in three countries and targeted F-35 fighter jets at Jordan’s Al-Azraq Air Base.

 

Under Trump’s definition, critics argue, “destruction” appears to mean little more than the rapid regeneration of military capabilities.

A man walks next to a symbolic mock-up of an Iranian missile, on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 11, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

38 Promises of an “Imminent Agreement” and Zero Results: The Collapse of Diplomatic Credibility

CNN recently reported that Trump had claimed at least 38 times since the outbreak of the war that an agreement was “imminent” (with the figure now reportedly reaching 39). Yet no agreement has been signed to date, and negotiations have allegedly stalled due to Iran’s insistence on a “full ceasefire in Lebanon” and the release of $24 billion in frozen assets.

 

The repeated use of this claim has not only failed to build trust in Tehran but, according to critics, has also led many of Washington’s European and Arab allies to stop taking Trump’s statements seriously.

 

25 Claims That the Strait of Hormuz Is Open: A Narrative Challenged by Satellite Imagery

The latest example of what critics call this “circus” came last night when Trump declared that “the Strait of Hormuz is open and ships are passing through.”

 

However, satellite images circulated afterward reportedly suggested otherwise. According to those reports, no traffic was moving through the strait and oil tankers remained anchored in port. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) later issued a vague statement referring only to an ongoing “assessment of the situation.”

 

For critics, this growing gap between rhetoric and reality has become a defining feature of Trump’s foreign policy.

 

Why Did the United States Strike Iran Again?

Why Did the United States Strike Iran Again?

WANA (Jun 11) – At a time when many expected tensions between Tehran and Washington to move toward crisis management, the latest U.S. strikes on targets in southern and central Iran have once again raised a critical question: Why has Washington resorted to military action while simultaneously talking about negotiations on one hand and maintaining […]

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The “Circus” Continues, but the Audience Is Growing Tired

Public opinion in the United States—and even among many of Washington’s allies—is increasingly concluding that Trump’s claims lack a factual foundation.

 

The remarkable number of assertions regarding “victory,” “destruction,” and an “imminent agreement” has, according to critics, not only eroded trust in the White House but also diminished the credibility of the American presidency on the international stage.

 

In this view, the only person benefiting from the “circus” is Trump himself, who keeps his hardline political base engaged through fiery rhetoric.

 

Meanwhile, events on the ground continue to unfold regardless of the slogans: Iran appears more resilient than before, the Strait remains contested, and the United States finds itself trapped in a crisis from which, critics argue, the only exits are either acknowledging failure or escalating toward a far more dangerous confrontation.