A Very Stable War

"I certainly empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then, we had dumb presidents, and now we have a president who actually knows how to accomplish America's national-security objectives."

"The Trump administration's second wave of air attacks on Iran reveals a strategy that seems more sundown than Sun Tzu. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was still debating whether the main aim is to go after Iran's nuclear program, hit its ballistic missile arsenal, bring about the collapse of the government, or some combination of the three."

"Generally speaking, military strategists tend to first settle upon their objective, and then devise a tactic to achieve it. The Trump method of first deciding on the tactic, and only getting around to what he wants to accomplish afterward, is unorthodox."

The Trump administration conducted aerial bombardment campaigns against Iran following campaign promises to avoid Middle East military entanglements. Vice President Vance justified the contradiction by arguing that previous wars failed due to incompetent leadership, while Trump possesses superior strategic capability. However, the administration's military strategy appears poorly defined, with officials debating fundamental objectives including targeting Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missiles, or regime collapse. Military strategists typically establish objectives before tactics, but the Trump approach reverses this sequence. Trump claimed previous strikes obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities, yet the need for repeated attacks within months undermines the effectiveness of the initial campaign.

Read at The Atlantic