When the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, expressed his “respect” for Iranian fighters on Tuesday, his remarks stood in stark contrast to the often boastful and mocking rhetoric displayed by Donald Trump and his administration since the beginning of the war.
On Monday, the American president jokingly explained that the decision to sink an Iranian warship, rather than capture it, was made because it was “more fun.”
Last week, his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, claimed that the United States was “pounding” Iranian military personnel while they were “on the ground.”
“It was never supposed to be a fair fight, and it’s not a fair fight,” he declared at the same time.
Pete Hegseth also ridiculed America’s reluctant allies for balking at engaging in the war, denouncing those who “wave their arms and cry out in outrage” about the use of force.
Solemn statements during press conferences or official events have given the impression of jubilation among senior American officials at the impact of the American military offensive.
– “Infantilization” –
For Rachel VanLandingham, a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force and current professor of law of war at Southwestern University, “this type of dangerous language is unusual for American officials in the modern era and shows an extremely cavalier attitude toward death and destruction involved in war.”
And while “hyperbole” and “dehumanization of the enemy” have always been part of US-led wars, “the current infantilization of combat operations by the Pentagon is striking,” added the former military lawyer.
Because the brash statements of some top officials have been accompanied since the beginning of the war by the posting on social media – notably by the White House – of video montages mixing excerpts from Hollywood blockbusters or video games with real images of strikes on Iran.
According to Rachel VanLandingham, this “gross trivialization” of war actually gives “enormous psychological advantage” to the enemy, who can portray the US as “bloodthirsty and determined to destroy Iran.”
“Ignoring the real cost of war, including its impact on civilians and soldiers from both countries serving their country, can lead to a strategic defeat despite tactical victories,” warns the professor.
– “Ignoble” –
In the face of these mocking statements, the Trump administration has nevertheless drawn criticism from within American civil society.
“A real war, with real deaths and real suffering, treated as if it were a video game, is ignoble,” condemned Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, in response to a video posted on social media by the official White House account.
Some Democratic opposition leaders have also denounced the government’s attitude.
For Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, going to war with Iran was a “serious decision.”
“And Donald Trump did not take it seriously,” he said on CNN on Monday.
The statements of government officials mark a semantic divide with those of American military leaders who have spoken about the war so far. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine praises American capabilities during his press conferences, but also said Tuesday that he “respects” Iranian fighters.
General Caine’s statements are more measured, according to Rachel VanLandingham, because “the men and women in uniform he represents are the ones who kill and are killed.”
“They need to feel that their leaders understand the risks they take and the emotional burden it represents for those tasked with killing,” added the professor.
