What we know for sure is that the Middle East is now in a regional war with no end in sight. Trump has refused to rule out U.S. troops on the ground and has said operations could last four to five weeks. AdvertisementIf the U.S. is merely trying to weaken Iran’s military power, this can certainly be done in the short term, as the Iranians are learning. Just as it did after last summer’s 12-day war, Iran will inevitably rebuild its military capacity once the U.S. concludes its air campaign. In June, Trump agreed to support Israel’s war against Iran even though U.S. negotiators were scheduled to continue talks days later.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 04, 2026 22:12 UTC