DER SPIEGEL - The German View

DER SPIEGEL - The German View

How Trump Turned America into a Source of Chaos

America's once-cherished role as a force of stability and order has gone up in smoke in the Middle East. After just two weeks of war in Iran, it is clear that the world has changed for good.

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DER SPIEGEL
Mar 12, 2026
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Smoke and flames rise from an oil depot in Tehran after coming under attack. (Photo: SASAN / Middle East Images / AFP)

By Steffen Lüdke and Mathieu von Rohr

Mushroom-shaped clouds of flame shoot into the night sky above Tehran. Later, the soot and fuel residue comes back with the blackish rain. In Dubai, once a safe haven on the Persian Gulf, Iranian drones are striking near luxury hotels. In Bahrain, a desalination plant vital to the kingdom’s drinking water supply has been hit.

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