Coordination that is not supposed to be one - Trump, Israel, gold sneakers and Pearl Harbor

Donald Trump reaches for a historical comparison that causes irritation even in Washington. When asked why allies were not informed before the attack on Iran, he refers to the Japanese attack of 1941 on Pearl Harbor and says in essence that no one knows surprises better than Japan. Sanae Takaichi sits calmly next to him. The scene shows how far US communication has moved away from its own alliance tradition.

At the same time, Israeli government officials contradict key statements by the president. The attack on the gas field South Pars was indeed coordinated in advance with Washington. Three informed officials confirm that the United States was briefed beforehand. Trump had previously stated that they knew nothing. The discrepancy is not small, it concerns the core of military coordination in an ongoing war.

Trump’s own statements also remain contradictory. On the one hand, he says he told Benjamin Netanyahu not to carry out the attack. Shortly afterward, he speaks of good coordination and emphasizes that they are independent but coordinated. At the same time, he threatens to destroy the entire gas field if Iran again attacks facilities in Qatar. Hours after the attack on South Pars, energy facilities in Qatar are indeed hit. The escalation follows immediately. How credible this president is, does as well.

Meanwhile, pressure on allies is increasing. Trump demands support from Japan, for example through minesweeping boats in the Strait of Hormuz, at the same time praises cooperation with Tokyo and sharply criticizes Europe because it is holding back militarily. Just a few days ago, he had said the United States did not need help there. Now it is being demanded. Europe reacts with warnings. Emmanuel Macron speaks of a dangerous development and calls for an end to attacks on energy infrastructure.

In the background, further decisions are being made. Trump announces that he will massively increase the military budget and justifies this with arms deliveries to Ukraine under Joe Biden. The figures he names do not match the amounts actually approved. At the same time, he says he will not deploy ground troops - and adds that he would not say it if he did.

While missiles are falling, Washington is losing touch with reality

In Riyadh, missiles are striking while Hakan Fidan speaks with Abbas Araghchi and urges him not to launch attacks at least during ongoing talks. The sentence stands for the absurdity of this situation: diplomacy takes place while the war continues in parallel. Shortly before, Saudi Arabia’s capital had experienced multiple explosions, intercepted projectiles tear the sky apart, fragments injure people on the ground. It is no longer an abstract escalation, it is happening visibly, audibly, in the middle of cities.

In Brussels, António Guterres at the same time warns of the global consequences. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz affects not only the parties to the war, but countries worldwide that have nothing to do with this conflict. He calls for an end to the attacks by Israel and the United States, as well as for Iran to reopen the route. It is an attempt to preserve at least a remainder of international order while energy prices rise and entire economies come under pressure.

What is going on in his head is a question one can ask - but one should be prepared for the silence that comes as an answer.

And then there is Donald Trump. While all of this is happening, he publishes an image of gold sneakers worth 180,000 dollars. Not a word about the strikes, not a sentence about the injured. This moment shows more than any press conference how far political leadership can drift from reality. One no longer has to ask whether the situation is getting out of control. One can see that it already is - and that it is no longer being contained from above.

War on credit - billions, weapons and a market beginning to tip

In Washington, the war is long being translated into numbers. John Thune says openly that the costs are rising and must be replaced, even if a concrete Pentagon request of more than 200 billion dollars has not yet been presented. At the same time, the State Department bypasses Congress and approves in an expedited procedure arms sales worth around 16 billion dollars to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan. Marco Rubio speaks of an emergency that requires immediate action. A similar step had previously already been taken in favor of Israel.

The consequences reach deep into everyday life. Mortgage rates rise for the third time in a row because oil and gas prices increase the pressure. Households feel this directly, even if demand for real estate remains stable for the time being. At the same time, around 20,000 seafarers are stuck in the Persian Gulf, without safe passage. The International Maritime Organization urgently calls for a corridor to bring them out of the danger zone.

The military situation is escalating further. In northern Israel, a refinery in Haifa caught fire after being hit by missile debris, with power outages reported. Iran has warned it will show zero restraint if its infrastructure is targeted again. At the same time, British military planners are already working in the United States on options to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Keir Starmer has made clear how difficult that would be. The war has reached a point where every decision carries new risks — financially, militarily, and for the people caught in the middle of it.

The situation is tightening. Attacks on energy, contradictory statements from Washington, growing tensions between allies. The war is not only fought with weapons, but also with messages that cancel each other out. That is where the real danger lies.