"Trump, not Iran, is the greatest threat to the world; he is a weapon of mass destruction by himself" – Article in The Guardian

Published July 19, 2026, 11:10 GMT

Last updated 4 hours ago

Reading time: 7 minutes

In a press review, we present a number of opinion articles, including one that describes US President Donald Trump as a threat to the world and compares him to a "weapon of mass destruction by himself", another that discusses the British long-term defense strategy and the need to accelerate its implementation, and finally a health article that reviews the benefits of brisk walking, its role in enhancing health and prolonging life.

We begin our tour with The Guardian and an opinion piece by Simon Tisdall titled "Trump, not Iran, is the greatest threat to the world; he is a weapon of mass destruction by himself", and the writer begins by noting that with the renewed bombing of Iran, it has become clear that Trump has dragged the United States into an endless catastrophe, and the world into an economic quagmire.

The writer describes the US president as "incompetent, ignorant, and lost in Iran, indeed unable to find a way out of the catastrophic war he ignited." The writer believes that with the US military's return to targeting Iranian civilian infrastructure, this illegal bombing strengthens the resilience of a hardline regime that cares little about the suffering of its people.

The writer says that control of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed due to Trump's attacks, has become the limited and elusive goal of the White House, while the broader US and Israeli war aims, namely eliminating Iran's nuclear program, weakening Iran's regional militias, and effecting regime change, have become more elusive than ever.

The writer believes that Trump's leadership, which he describes as "cowardly," is what makes US forces ineffective, not the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, noting that if Iran truly poses the existential threat they claim, the logical option would be a full-scale invasion, as George W. Bush did with Iraq when he saw Baghdad as an unacceptable threat, and the result was a disaster, but at least Bush had the courage.

As for Trump, according to the writer, he dares not take a similar step in Iran, and he refuses to admit the mistake of igniting a reckless confrontation he cannot end. He prefers to expose civilians and US forces to a long war of attrition that cannot be won, endanger Arab allies in the Gulf, harm the global economy, risk a deadly famine in developing countries, undermine international law, and weaken the Republican Party's electoral chances, rather than admit he made a serious mistake that he seeks to resolve diplomatically through faltering "peace talks."

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The writer says that "Trump's narcissism, not Iran, is the world's number one enemy; he is the main reason for this war escalating again out of control; he alone is a weapon of mass destruction."

The writer points out that "the damage from Trump's failure in Iran has exceeded limits at this stage, believing that the outcome would be different this time, Trump resumed his daily bombing despite the fact that all previous campaigns failed to achieve their goals; rather, the more the bombing, the more resilient the Iranian regime became, the conflict intensified and expanded, and the chances of resolving the nuclear issue that the US and Israel insist is the core of the problem receded."

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And the writer asks who will stop Trump? "Congress demanded that he stop the war or obtain official authorization, but he ignored that. Polls show that the majority of Americans reject this 'chaos' that costs a hundred billion dollars and fuels inflation, but Trump refuses to listen."

On the other side sits Russian President Vladimir Putin amidst the ruins of his military illusions, and he does not hide his delight at watching the United States direct its limited interceptor missiles, financial resources, and energy to another permanent war in the Middle East, far from Ukraine. The more pressure inside the Western alliance, the more comfortable he becomes, according to the writer.

The writer Simon Tisdall concludes his article by pointing out that Trump's predicament remains a matter for the American people to decide; they elected him, and they burdened the world with "the weight of this dangerous monster." It may be the Americans themselves who will ultimately pay the greatest price for Trump's destructive actions, according to the writer.

"Accelerating a new British defense strategy"

Image caption, The British destroyer HMS Dragon (archive photo)

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We move to Modern Diplomacy magazine and an opinion piece by Donald Ramsay titled "Britain's new long-range strategy cannot wait any longer," and the writer begins by noting that the troubled deployment of the destroyer HMS Dragon in March last year, aimed at protecting Cyprus from Iran, dealt a new blow to the United Kingdom's global military standing.

The writer believes that this step was the latest in a series of setbacks indicating that Britain's military power is in general decline. This situation has caused concern in London, prompting British forces to focus on long-range strike capabilities to keep pace with the new nature of wars and fill the existing gaps in their capabilities.

The writer says that British military capabilities, by sea, land, and air, were once a source of prestige and respect around the world. However, defense capabilities, like those of many neighboring European countries, have declined during the post-Cold War peace period. This is worrisome for the UK and Europe in general, given the escalation of international conflicts and military leaders' warnings that a NATO member state could be attacked by 2029.

The writer adds that in the pursuit of 'readiness,' and in light of reality, and after drawing lessons from the wars in Ukraine and Iran, military leaders are modifying their methods to achieve maximum effectiveness with minimal resources in the event of a confrontation with Russia, by focusing on heavy-lift long-range missiles capable of inflicting severe damage.

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