WASHINGTON – One week into the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that has plunged the Middle East into turmoil, U.S. President Donald Trump faces a growing list of risks and challenges that raise questions about whether he will be able to translate military successes into a clear geopolitical win.
Even after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s longtime supreme leader, and devastating blows against Iranian forces on land, at sea and in the air, the crisis has quickly widened into a regional conflict that threatens a more prolonged U.S. military engagement with fallout beyond Trump’s control.
That is a scenario that Trump had avoided in his two terms in the White House, preferring swift, limited operations like the Jan. 3 lightning raid in Venezuela and June’s one-off strike on Iran’s nuclear sites.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.