The Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier vessel Manta Ursula in Muscat on July 25, 2026. An incident involving a tanker and unspecified military forces was reported on July 25 near the Strait of Hormuz waterway, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor. (Getty Images)
The war with Iran has now stretched into its sixth month, and even the most steadfast supporters of President Trump are beginning to question the trajectory and mounting costs of this operation.
While Trump’s economic policies have borne fruit in the past, his strategy as Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East is facing intense scrutiny.
While it’s true Trump achieved success in winding down previous conflicts, his approach to Tehran has hit a perilous wall.
Instead of continually attempting to negotiate with a bad-faith regime, the President must pivot immediately and fight for nothing less than Iran’s unconditional surrender.
The Failure of Strategic Diplomacy
When the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury alongside Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion, the foreign policy objectives were clear and decisive: Prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon, eliminate its long-range missile threat, and permanently sever funding to terror proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
Within weeks of devastating Iran’s air defenses, navy, and military infrastructure, the administration declared major combat operations a success.
The underlying strategy assumed that a severely degraded Iran would be forced to the bargaining table, where President Trump could leverage his negotiation skills to forge a lasting peace.
Months later, however, no settlement was reached.
The reason is fundamental.
The Iranian regime does not negotiate in good faith. History demonstrates that Tehran uses diplomacy merely to buy time, routinely stalling before signing agreements it intends to break or renegotiate days later.
Indifferent to Human Suffering
In traditional conflicts, rational leaders evaluate the welfare of their citizens.
When the costs become too great, they seek terms to minimize further destruction. This was evident at the end of World War II, when Japan agreed to unconditional surrender after witnessing the devastating toll of the atomic bomb on its people and nation.
The ruling clerics in Iran, however, operate under an entirely different paradigm.
They treat the suffering of the Iranian public as collateral damage, prioritizing only one metric: he survival of their tyrannical regime.
Because Tehran views the well-being of its citizens with absolute indifference, standard diplomatic leverage and economic sanctions will never compel them to make voluntary concessions.
In dealing with an enemy that willingly sacrifices its own populace to stay in power, demanding unconditional surrender is the only viable path forward.
The Staggering Cost
The strategic stalemate in the Middle East is taking a heavy toll at home — and rapidly eroding the President’s political credibility.
Clear declarations that the conflict would end “shortly” were made in March, April, May, June, July, and now August.
This prolonged state of war has severely disrupted global energy markets, sending energy prices soaring, driving inflation back up over 4%, and cooling economic expansion to a sluggish 1.5% in the second quarter.
Without the economic drag of this conflict, the landmark legislation passed last July was positioned to propel U.S. economic growth to 4% while keeping inflation under 2.5%.
Instead, everyday Americans are feeling the squeeze of high prices and economic deceleration — leaving them increasingly frustrated with the administration’s handling of both the war and the economy.
The Political Stakes for the US
The timing could not be more critical. With the midterm elections just three months away, the political fallout threatens the broader conservative mandate.
Under normal circumstances, voters would likely reject the opposition party, which has nominated numerous candidates embracing socialist and far-left economic policies.
Asking the American public to endorse candidates associated with prolonged military engagements, persistent inflation, and slowing economic growth, however, presents a difficult proposition.
If the administration allows this war to drag on much longer through futile diplomatic channels, the electoral consequences will be severe.
President Trump must take decisive military and strategic action to bring this war to a swift conclusion and force Iran’s unconditional surrender.
Anything less risks long-term disaster for both the nation and the GOP.
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Michael Busler is a public policy analyst and a professor of finance at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in finance and economics. He has written op-ed columns in major newspapers for more than 35 years.
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