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Source: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/its-way-too-early-to-declare-defeat-in-iran-ff8ac396
It's Way Too Early to Declare U.S. Defeat in Iran
(Wall Street Journal) Walter Russell Mead - The establishment consensus is that President Trump's war with Iran is a disaster. Time will tell, but it would be a mistake to assume that Mr. Trump is desperately looking for the exits. Viewed from the Oval Office, the war may seem less costly than critics charge, and the likelihood of a favorable outcome may appear significantly greater than a horrified foreign-policy establishment can bring itself to believe. True, the war has gone on longer than originally hoped and is taking a toll on the president's popularity. But he may feel less trapped than critics think he should. In the Gulf, American naval forces have, without taking casualties, consolidated a crushing blockade of Iran that Tehran seems unable to counter. And support in the Gulf for a decisive effort against Iran is stronger now than at the outbreak of hostilities. For now, the president can afford to wait and see how mounting pressure affects the Iranian side. The writer, a fellow at the Hudson Institute, is Professor of Strategy and Statecraft at the University of Florida.