On April 20, U.S. President Trump shared a commentary article by American political conservative Christopher Ruddy on social media, in which the author stated that Trump has decisively won the war. The article provided eight reasons for this 'victory': 1) Achieved the goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and dismantling its nuclear program. 2) Undermined Iran's status as a regional military power. 3) Facilitated a de facto new Arab-Israeli alliance, as key Gulf nations recognize their future is closely tied to Washington and Jerusalem. 4) Weakened Iran's network of proxies that have disrupted the region for years. 5) Forced NATO members to reflect on strengthening NATO. 6) Diminished Russia's standing; although Moscow has temporarily benefited from sanctions relief and high oil prices, these are short-term gains. 7) Stabilizing the Gulf region and reopening energy flows will ultimately benefit global markets and the world economy. 8) The Iran conflict may make the U.S. stronger and better prepared for future wars.