Trump Brings America Closer to a Quagmire in Iran with No Clear End in Mind

After the Iran War: What Is America’s Long Game in the Middle East?

President Donald Trump said that the war against the Islamic Republic of Iran that he launched with Israel could last for four to five weeks with “the capability to go far longer than that.” Trump even left the door open to putting U.S. troops on the ground.

One crucial element Trump has failed to clarify: the end state.

This is not new for Trump, who runs his foreign policy like an improv-performer-in-chief, zigzagging and making things up as he goes, from Gaza to Ukraine to Venezuela to Iran. That’s why others have given Trump’s overall performance on the global stage and in particular the Middle East in the first year since he returned to office is mixed. Trump’s proclivity to rely on bold statements and photo ops to project the image of success ends up hindering sustainable progress — just ask the Palestinians in Gaza what they think about Trump’s Board of Peace (not much).

*Photo by The White House via X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images *

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