Trump's armchair geography is costing him in Iran

Spectator Australia · Klaus Dodds · Thursday 23 April 2026

Trump's armchair geography is costing him in Iran

A commentary piece invoking 19th-century explorer David Livingstone's disdain for 'easy chair geographers' to skewer Trump's remote-control approach to Iran policy.

Trump's doing foreign policy with a globe he got for Christmas. Livingstone at least walked the ground — this bloke's running an empire from a recliner, squinting at Iran like it's a crossword clue. The Persians have been outlasting armchair strategists since Xerxes was in short pants.

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