Iran is turning into the sort of ‘forever war’ that Donald Trump promised to avoid

The Conversation (UK) is reporting on the rapid collapse of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June. After initially stabilizing regional tensions, the agreement has unraveled — the US has resumed military strikes, Iran has retaliated, and the Houthis have signaled readiness to close the Red Sea. Unlike the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, this confrontation is being waged through air strikes, cyber operations, sanctions, and proxy warfare. Yet according to one analysis, that may make it more enduring, not less. The fundamental strategic objectives — US pressure on Iran's nuclear program and regional influence, versus Iran's view of those capabilities as essential to its own security — remain incompatible. As a result, diplomacy manages the conflict rather than resolving it. The greater danger may be not a sudden regional war, but a gradually normalized cycle of escalation and negotiation that persists for years without clear resolution.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton