Trump labels Iran the 'Loser of the Middle East' and 'has surrendered', academic says it's merely framing and rhetoric

Trump’s remarks that Iran is the ‘Loser of the Middle East’ were described as not reflecting the real geopolitical situation. The claim is seen as more political rhetoric than an accurate on-the-ground assessment. Trump, via a post on Truth Social, said Iran is now the ‘Loser of the Middle East’ and described Tehran as having ‘surrendered’ to neighbouring countries after a sequence of attacks by the United States and Israel.

Associate Professor Emaridial Ulza of Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka (UHAMKA) said Trump’s communication style often places claims of victory as the opening message to pressure opponents psychologically.

“Donald Trump has a habit of using victory as the opening message to try to pressure opponents psychologically,” Ulza said in a statement on Sunday (8/3/2026).

Trump also warned that Iran could face a ‘very hard blow’, opening up the possibility of expanding attack targets to other territories or groups.

According to Ulza, who is also the Chairman of the Central Leadership of Muhammadiyah Youth in Foreign Relations, the statement contains contradictions that show the complexity of warfare on the ground. He assessed that unilateral victory declarations are often used as part of a negotiating strategy in international conflicts.

“This pattern has been seen repeatedly, from trade negotiations with China, the North Korea crisis, to earlier conflicts in the same region,” he said.

He added that the claim that Iran has surrendered is likely political framing for domestic consumption. The narrative is seen as more aimed at building a victory image rather than describing the geopolitical situation objectively.

“Declarations of victory on social media are not peace. In many historical cases, such rhetoric can prolong cycles of escalation of conflict,” he said.

According to Ulza, the escalating conflict requires a mediating role from the international community. Indonesia is considered to have a strategic position to push such diplomatic efforts.

One possible step is to mobilise dialogue through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OKI) or forums of Middle Eastern countries. With the world’s largest Muslim population, Indonesia is regarded as having moral legitimacy to push de-escalation efforts.

“Indonesia, positioned on the Board of Peace established by Trump and also part of BRICS, can act as a bridge even if not directly,” Ulza said.