Retired US Army officer, Adebayo Adeleke, has said US President Donald Trump is largely unconcerned about the global consequences of the ongoing war with Iran, warning that the conflict is already inflicting widespread economic and geopolitical damage.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Sunday, Adeleke said bluntly, “I don’t think he really cares about it,” adding that the US leader is focused on weakening Iran regardless of the fallout.
“He really wants to kind of handicap Iran rather because over the last 40 plus years, we’ve been kind of containing them,” he said.
Adeleke noted that the war marks a significant break from long-standing US military doctrine, which traditionally emphasised managing tensions with global powers such as Iran, China, Russia and North Korea to avoid far-reaching consequences.
“There’s a reason why we kind of manage these things… because any conflict today, we have far-reaching consequences,” he said. “So this is a clear departure from what a lot of officers… have learned in school.”
He added that US planners underestimated the scale and impact of the conflict. “I think they underestimated how influential this particular war is and how far-reaching those actions have been,” he said.
According to Adeleke, the effects are already being felt globally, with disruptions to supply chains, rising fuel prices and inflation hitting multiple regions.
“Everybody’s feeling the pinch right now, Americans mostly… the Asians, everybody’s feeling it,” he said.
He explained that the crisis underscores the strategic importance of energy routes and logistics in the global economy.
“Whoever controls the energy route controls the supply chain,” he said. “Everything runs on logistics… air, maritime, ground, everything runs on fuel prices.”
On the broader geopolitical implications, Adeleke dismissed moral arguments around the war, describing global conflicts as driven purely by national interests.
“In geopolitics… there’s no bully… it’s a game of power, interest, and survival… morals doesn’t have even say so in it,” he said.
“It’s an issue of what is American interest and Israel interest… world powers always protect their interests at all costs.”
Despite growing criticism of US military engagements historically, Adeleke argued that Washington does not view past conflicts as failures but as learning opportunities.
“We don’t look at this war as failures. We look at it as a different way of fighting,” he said. “There’s a huge… base in America that is dedicated to lesson-learning war.”
The retired officer also warned that internal developments within the US military, including leadership shake-ups and alleged interference in promotions, could weaken morale and operational effectiveness.
“If this thing persists, you’ll see a mass exodus of officers… and it’s going to hurt the US military,” he said.
Turning to Africa, Adeleke said US involvement in Nigeria is primarily driven by counterterrorism and long-term strategic interests tied to global trade and resources.
“Strictly… is for counterterrorism purposes,” he said. “If Nigeria’s situation is not fixed… America… will not be able to project power because it needs resources from Africa.”
He stressed that US personnel in Nigeria operate in an advisory capacity under Nigerian sovereignty.
“Americans that are here… are in the capacity of advisory… Nigeria is still a sovereign nation,” he said.
On Nigeria’s security challenges, Adeleke acknowledged the complexity of the situation and cautioned against expecting quick fixes.
“We want immediate intervention… but it doesn’t work that way,” he said. “The complexities in security architecture of Nigeria is just complex.”
He added, “They can only advise… the person you’re advising can take the advice or ignore it.”
While acknowledging setbacks and uncertainties, Adeleke expressed cautious optimism.
“I think better days are ahead… but it will take some time,” he said.
The former officer, who spent 20 years in the US Army, described his military career as transformative.
“I came in as a young boy… I left as a man,” he said. “The US military built so much attributes in me.”
Now working with Nigerian defence institutions, he said his focus is on contributing to national security improvements.
“I’ve been able to help in shaping the forces… and great times are ahead,” he added.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
