Source: The New Republic
by Joe Cirincione
“The first phase of Donald Trump’s war on Iran ended in defeat and humiliation. Iran emerged battered but stronger, with two new weapons: control of the Strait of Hormuz and a demonstrated drone and missile force that can cripple the economies of its Persian Gulf neighbors and wreak havoc on U.S. bases. Both are new instruments of power more usable than nuclear weapons. … So why did Trump restart the war? As Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan write in their new book, Regime Change, ‘Unlike recent Presidents, Trump had shown he was entirely comfortable using extraordinary presidential powers on a whim.’ Those extraordinary powers include the ability to launch waves of destructive attacks solely on his order. But these attacks, now numbering hundreds of sorties, are pointless. If it were possible to bomb Iran into submission, it would have worked the first time.” (07/15/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/213066/iran-war-trump-lose-twice