Ex-CIA director skewers Trump's 'unforced errors': 'Didn’t have to dig the hole this deep'

President Donald Trump's ceasefire deal with Iran has been heavily criticized by a former Central Intelligence Agency director.

William J. Burns, who served as the CIA's director from March 2021 to January 2025, profiled the key problem of Trump's current negotiating position with Iran. Trump sought to achieve regime change in Iran and potentially control the country's uranium resources when his administration first launched strikes.

The admin framed the conflict as necessary for regional security and to counter perceived Iranian threats. However, analysts noted Trump's motivations extended beyond geopolitical strategy.

The conflict also aligned with the ideological priorities of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other hardline advisors who promoted Christian nationalist justifications for military action.

Burns wrote in The New York Times, "These unforced errors have already done a great deal of strategic damage. But, with a fragile cease-fire extension in place and the flickering potential for resumed negotiations, there is a chance to limit the harm. Three essential lessons from the past eight weeks can help Mr. Trump salvage America’s interests.

"This lesson is not about fatalism or avoiding tough choices. It’s about what you can accomplish at an acceptable cost to other priorities, both foreign and domestic.

"Perfect is rarely on the menu in diplomacy, especially with a ruthless, ideological, and entrenched regime. Decapitating leadership can seem like an appealing shortcut, but as this administration quickly discovered in Iran, it can be an illusion."

Burns went on to suggest the longer-term impact of Trump's war with Iran had emboldened world leaders in their own conflicts. He wrote, "The war has also thrown a lifeline to Vladimir Putin, resulting in more energy revenue and diminished U.S. military inventories at a time when Ukraine had been making progress on the battlefield and the Russian economy was facing its own dire straits.

" Xi Jinping appears to believe the conflict has put China on higher strategic ground as Mr. Trump prepares to visit Beijing in mid-May, giving Mr. Xi an opportunity to extract concessions on trade, technology and Taiwan. And there will be longer-term challenges in the global economy, with a significant lag in impact even if a cease-fire is sustained.

"We didn’t have to dig the hole this deep. Fortunately, there’s still time to put our shovel down, learn some hard lessons, and apply them with a little more humility."