Is Trump stretching US power just as it begins to decline?

Mar 16, 2026 | 21:50 IST

(Image: AI)

As the Iran war stretches on, Trump’s ambitions beyond the Middle East raise larger questions about US power. Are these moves a projection of strength — or signs of a superpower grappling with decline?

“After Iran, we’ll do Cuba,” declared United States President Donald Trump in a casual chat with reporters aboard Air Force One, the presidential aircraft, about his plans to attack the Caribbean island. He added with a shrug: “It may be a friendly takeover. It may not be a friendly takeover. It wouldn’t matter. They have no energy. They have no money. They are in deep trouble.”

TOI

TOI

Is Trump stretching US power just as it begins to decline?

As the Iran war stretches on, Trump’s ambitions beyond the Middle East raise larger questions about US power. Are these moves a projection of strength — or signs of a superpower grappling with decline?

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TOI

Is Trump stretching US power just as it begins to decline?

As the Iran war stretches on, Trump’s ambitions beyond the Middle East raise larger questions about US power. Are these moves a projection of strength — or signs of a superpower grappling with decline?

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