There's something deliciously absurd about Trump's announcement this morning. The American president, in a Truth Social post reeking of poorly channeled testosterone, brags about having "obliterated military targets on Kharg Island" while specifying — and this is where it gets delicious — that the U.S. military "deliberately avoided striking oil infrastructure."

Allow me to translate: "We're bombing you, but not too hard, because we need your oil to keep gas affordable in Ohio."

The War of Half-Measures

Kharg Island, for those who skipped their energy geopolitics classes, is Iran's faucet. Read more: breaking analysis trumps This tiny island in the Persian Gulf ships 90% of Iranian oil to the world. Bombing it while sparing oil installations is like slapping someone while apologizing for not breaking their glasses.

According to France24, Iran had threatened to "launch attacks on American oil infrastructure." Washington's response? Read more: america strikes iran A surgical bombing that looks more like a slap on the wrist than a show of force. We're far from the "shock and awe" of 2003.

This calculated restraint reveals a reality nobody dares mention: Trump's America, despite its bluster about energy independence, remains terrified of oil price fluctuations. Bombing Iranian oil installations would send prices soaring, and with them the reelection chances of whoever occupies the White House.

The Geopolitical Split

Let's compare with our neighbors. France, which still imports 40% of its oil from the Middle East, tepidly applauds this "American restraint" — translation: "thanks for not making our gas bills explode." Canada, an oil producer but dependent on American refineries, watches this balancing act with a mixture of amusement and concern. As for China, the world's largest importer of Iranian oil, they must be rubbing their hands: every Middle Eastern tension strengthens their negotiating position with Tehran.

The irony is that Trump, who spent his first term promising "American energy dominance," finds himself conducting a white-glove war to avoid disrupting energy markets. The United States may produce more oil than it consumes, but its economy remains hypersensitive to energy prices. A lesson Europeans learned the hard way with the war in Ukraine.

The Art of Modern War

This "selective" strike perfectly illustrates the contradictions of American power in 2026. Washington has the most sophisticated military force in history, capable of striking anywhere on the planet with surgical precision. But this same power remains hampered by economic considerations that would have made Cold War strategists smile.

Imagine Eisenhower explaining to Khrushchev: "We're going to bomb you, but not too much, because it would drive up gas prices in Detroit." Yet that's exactly what's happening today.

The most comical part is that this forced restraint might actually be more effective than a massive strike. By sparing oil installations, Trump sends a clear message to Tehran: "We can destroy your economy whenever we want, but we choose not to... for now." It's diplomacy by sword of Damocles.

Iran, the Big Winner?

Paradoxically, Iran emerges strengthened from this episode. Tehran can claim to have "resisted American aggression" while keeping its main economic asset intact. The ayatollahs perfectly understand the American dilemma: the more they threaten energy infrastructure, the more Washington hesitates to strike hard.

This dynamic transforms every Middle Eastern crisis into an energy chess game. Iran plays with oil prices like others play with missiles. And apparently, it works.

The Price of Consistency

What strikes me most about this affair is Trump's involuntary honesty. By specifying that oil installations were spared, he implicitly admits that American foreign policy remains subordinate to energy imperatives. It's refreshing in its frankness, even if it's depressing in its implications.

Other Western leaders do the same thing, but with more hypocrisy. They talk about "democratic values" and "human rights" while quietly negotiating with petromonarchies. At least Trump owns his contradictions.

VERDICT: 6/10 for military effectiveness, 8/10 for involuntary honesty, 2/10 for strategic consistency. Overall, a modern war perfectly representative of our era: brutal but calculating, powerful but constrained, and above all, obsessed with prices at the pump.