Trump’s in a box on #Iran. He clearly had no conception or understanding of where “maximum pressure” absent a realistic objective was likely to lead. He acted alone which makes it harder to bring allies with us. The tit-for-tat cycle we now see was predictable.

This is consequence of a total lack of process or rigorous inquiry before setting policy and contemplating contingency and risk. It weakens our country and places an impossible burden on our people holding military and diplomatic lines overseas.

We have been in urgent need of a broad international coalition to protect navigation and deter Iran’s reckless acts in the Gulf. But that takes American credibility, trust, leadership, and allies—all of which the WH serves to undermine month-after-month.

Trump may increasingly confront two choices: act military and risk a wider confrontation, or back down and lower declared aims. That’s a terrible spot for any president particularly when it results from a policy that Trump himself seems not to fully support or even understand.

Some thoughts here on importance of process and why hope of a diplomatic opening with Iran is fantasy absent more realistic U.S. objectives. Includes a simulation just conducted in Israel.
fsi.stanford.edu/news/what-it-t…

And here from last month on a more holistic approach to the Iran problem generally to include a naval coalition and realistic on-ramp for diplomacy. The current approach appears set to collision course. google.com/amp/s/www.bloo…