The War Trump Can’t End
The ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran remains unresolved, with both sides entrenched in their positions. President Trump faces challenges in negotiating a deal that satisfies both American taxpayers and the Iranian regime, which is focused on its ideological battle against the U.S. The situation is complicated by Iran's nuclear ambitions and its strategic control over the Strait of Hormuz, making any potential agreement difficult to achieve.
- ▪The U.S. under Trump has shifted between isolationism and interventionism, impacting its foreign policy approach to Iran.
- ▪Iran's regime is deeply focused on resisting America, viewing conflict as part of its identity rather than a policy choice.
- ▪Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran yield little trust, with both sides demanding more than they would have before the war began.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
GlobalThe War Trump Can’t EndWashington needs a deal, but Tehran needs an enemy.By Karim SadjadpourMorteza Nikoubaz / NurPhoto / GettyMay 29, 2026, 5:28 PM ET ShareSave For nearly five decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been preparing for a war that Donald Trump expected would take days.As virtually every American president since World War II has learned, a monopoly on focus can outlast a monopoly on power. America under Trump is the attention-deficit superpower, pinballing from isolationism to interventionism in Venezuela, Iran, and Cuba, having hollowed out the State Department. The Islamic Republic is an obsessive-compulsive revolutionary state—a regime with a half-century fixation on resisting America, rather than advancing the welfare of its own people.
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