Ex‑Aide Says Iran Is Tailoring Taunts to Exploit Trump and Prolong Gulf War

A public op‑ed warns that targeted propaganda and calibrated attacks could widen the campaign, draw rival powers into probing moves, and weaken U.S. leverage.

Overview

Miles Taylor published an op‑ed Tuesday arguing President Trump’s hunger for respect and habit of responding to insults make him unusually easy for adversaries to bait.
Taylor says Iranian propagandists have flooded social media and public spaces with mocking content designed to provoke the president rather than to hide military plans.
He predicts Iran will expand the use of proxies to harass shipping and U.S. bases, calibrating attacks to justify more U.S. sorties without forcing a decisive battle.
Taylor warns that while U.S. forces focus on the Gulf, Russia may probe NATO’s edges and China may grow bolder around Taiwan, increasing the risk of wider geopolitical strain.
The piece is an interpretive strategic assessment and not new operational evidence, and it cautions Iran could time peace gestures before the November midterms to distract U.S. policymakers.