Google Gemini was used to research this piece. This Essay was posted on 7/24/2026.
Donald Trump’s war in Iraq has evolved into a Hobson’s choice where there is no good way to end this war and continuing it will be a disaster. And Trump can only blame himself, though he will probably throw his entire Cabinet under the bus before this fiasco is over.
Trump’s biggest hurdle is overcoming Iran’s asymmetric advantage. The advantage is best understood by comparing Iran’s $50,000 attack drones with the US $4 million Patriot defensive missiles. Iran can replace the cheap missiles quickly, but it takes years to replace Patriot missiles. Understanding this discrepancy helps explain why American soldiers in Jordan may not be properly defended. It also helps us understand why Iran can outlast us.
Defeating Iran would require a large ground war that would be costly in lives and in other resources, and it would leave other hot spots unprotected. What if Putin attacked Germany while we are preoccupied with Iran?
Trump was properly warned. The US military understands the lessons learned in Ukraine that well targeted drones can make a difference when the enemy can’t defend everything. Donald Trump ignored the advice of his military and attacked anyway. Now that Trump has put himself into a Hobson corner, it doesn’t matter whether he has learned from his mistake.
Until the biggest military in the world can fully implement modern drone warfare, it will need to recognize the real limitations to its power and be less aggressive. Unfortunately, the cat is out of the bag.
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