Trump’s Iran Policy and the Curse of King Croesus

The President predicted the destruction of a civilization. He just didn't realize he was talking about our own.

Apr 09, 2026

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Robert S. McElvaine is a historian and the author of 11 books, including The Times They were a-Changin’: 1964—The Year the Sixties Arrived and the Battle Lines of Today Were Drawn. Subscribe to his Musings & Amusings Substack.

“If you make war on the Persians, you will destroy a great empire.”

~ Oracle of Delphi to King Croesus…

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A guest post by

Robert S. McElvaine

Author, historian, feminist, believer in democracy—placing current developments in historical context. Author of 11books. Current book project: “An Agreed-Upon Fiction—The creation of the ‘Inferior’ Sex: Hoe It Misshaped History & the Present.”