Wyoming Star, July 28, 2026: Zunes traced the roots of the current impasse back to Trump’s original strategic error: “Unlike the 2015 nuclear deal – which was extremely detailed, enforceable, and left no room for ambiguity – Trump’s Memorandum of Understanding was rather vague, giving both sides motivation to try to strengthen their bargaining position by engaging in provocative actions. The problem is that, with Iran having demonstrated its power through its newfound form of asymmetrical warfare, no realistic negotiated settlement will be better or even as advantageous for the West than what was achieved by the painstaking two-year, seven-nation negotiating process that led to the JCPOA – which Trump tore up because he insisted he could get a better deal. Trump does want to look like a loser by accepting anything more advantageous to the Iranians than what Obama and other world leaders negotiated. In other words, given that virtually no strategic analyst thinks that the resumption of the war will get Iran to compromise further, Trump is allowing his ego to forestall an end to the conflict regardless of its negative impact in terms of human lives, energy access, the global economy, and Republican chances in November… With getting the requisite two-thirds majority in Congress necessary to override a presidential veto and implement the War Powers Act virtually impossible, the only legislative vehicle to stop the war would be to withhold funding. However, through demands to “support our troops” and replenish weapons stocks that have left other areas of US security commitments potentially vulnerable, parliamentary maneuvering, and perhaps declaring some kind of state of emergency, Trump will likely find a way to fund the war despite its growing unpopularity with the American public.”
