Ex-CIA Director: Trump Stuck in Prolonged Iran War
Ex-CIA Director: Trump Stuck in Prolonged Iran War
The News
Former CIA director and defense secretary Leon Panetta says President Donald Trump is "running out of options" in Iran, warning on MS NOW that the United States is "really stuck" and "we're probably in for a continuing prolonged war."
Panetta's assessment came Monday, as the U.S.-Israel war against Iran passed the six-month mark with fighting ongoing, negotiations collapsed, and no commitment from Tehran to forgo a nuclear weapon.
Trump has told a different story. He insists Iran is "completely collapsing."
Timeline
The stated aim when the campaign began was to secure an Iranian commitment never to possess a nuclear weapon, according to Just the News. That commitment has not been obtained.
Negotiations with Tehran collapsed weeks ago, and intermittent fighting continued even through the ceasefire period.
In early August, a Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,505 adults found 35% of Americans approved of the war.
On Monday, Panetta delivered his warning on MS NOW, saying U.S. military stockpiles are "dangerously down" and that China's continued trade with Iran blunts the practical effect of American sanctions unless Washington is willing to confront Beijing directly.
Reactions
The right is split on what the stalemate means. The Washington Examiner argues it increasingly suits Trump, crediting the U.S. oil blockade of Iran and rising tanker transits through the Strait of Hormuz with boosting the president's confidence.
The American Conservative takes the opposite view, arguing the "Iran experts" who advised the White House left out an inconvenient fact: despite its many problems, Iran remains a functional, cohesive state.
Foreign Policy, meanwhile, focuses on the home front — noting that Franklin Roosevelt enlisted entertainers to sell the public on fighting Germany and Japan, a job Trump has not matched.
What's Next
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's new sanctions package — framed by the White House as "economic D-Day" — is set to roll out this week.
The Trump administration estimates regional energy exports now stand at roughly 75% of pre-war levels. Whether tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz holds, or Iran resumes intensive strikes on regional energy infrastructure, is the open question.
The November midterm congressional elections loom as the political deadline for Trump to show progress.
More
One estimate puts U.S. costs of the war so far at $37.5 billion.
The war's stated goal has also shifted. What began as eliminating Iran's nuclear capability expanded into keeping the Strait of Hormuz open — a waterway that was open before the conflict started.
The core dispute among analysts is simple: is American economic pressure slowly forcing Iran toward a deal, or just piling up costs while the stalemate hardens?
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