Opinion: Has Trump Launched Another ‘Forever War’ in the Israel-Iran Conflict?
In June 2025, President Donald Trump’s decision to authorize U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan has sparked fears of a new “forever war” in the Middle East. Initially reluctant, Trump’s shift from diplomacy to military action, alongside Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion,” raises questions about whether the U.S. is sliding into an open-ended conflict with Iran, reminiscent of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Proponents argue the strikes were necessary to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims were nearing weaponization. Trump’s rhetoric, boasting of “complete control” over Iranian skies, frames the action as a decisive blow against a regional threat. Supporters, including Israeli officials and some U.S. hawks, believe a weakened Iran—reeling from the loss of senior commanders and damaged infrastructure—could be forced into a nuclear deal or even regime change, securing long-term stability.
Critics, however, warn of a dangerous miscalculation. Iran’s retaliatory missile barrages, killing 24 in Israel and wounding hundreds, signal its resolve. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s vow of “irreversible consequences” for U.S. intervention, coupled with threats to target U.S. bases, risks escalating the conflict. Polls show 60% of Americans oppose U.S. involvement, reflecting fears of another protracted war. History suggests bombing unites Iranians against foreign attackers, not their regime, potentially entrenching the clerical leadership. Disrupting Iran’s nuclear program may delay, but not destroy, its know-how, inviting years of tit-for-tat strikes.
Trump’s promise to avoid foreign entanglements now seems hollow. Without a clear exit strategy, the U.S. risks being mired in a cycle of retaliation, destabilizing the region and global energy markets. If diplomacy fails, this conflict could define Trump’s legacy as the very kind of war he once condemned.