Trump’s Iran Dilemma: A War He Can’t Win And Can’t Quit

Unless Donald Trump finds a way out of his corner on Iran, history may come to regard his decision to wage war as a defining error of his presidency.

So far, however, he has avoided one potentially catastrophic mistake: escalating the conflict beyond his capacity to control it.

History shows that presidents who intensify wars to find an exit, or to protect their prestige and America’s reputation, often slide down a slippery slope. In Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, they did so reluctantly — in wars that could no longer be won.

Trump now finds himself at a familiar three-way intersection, with a war being driven by Iran’s refusal to surrender or seriously negotiate.

*Three Unpalatable Options*

If diplomacy continues to fail, Trump faces three choices:

Is he willing to perpetually extend the current campaign of air strikes, fragile ceasefires, and US and Iranian maritime blockades? It rumbles on, but it does not end the war.

Does he lift his own limits and expand the US offensive beyond mostly military targets? That could mean striking Iranian civilian and infrastructure assets — and crossing the Rubicon into limited ground operations.

The third option is deeply painful: accepting that he and the United States are best served by cutting losses and exiting the conflict with key goals unresolved.

Each option presents difficult political and strategic consequences. That explains why Trump remains stuck in a war he can’t afford to win and can’t afford to lose.

It also underscores the scale of the US predicament. According to an exclusive CNN report, the Pentagon has asked a group of military analysts for new ideas on how to punish Iran.