The essay argues that while the United States retains the power to withdraw from conflicts such as Ukraine, Gaza and the Iran-Israel confrontation, it cannot unilaterally force them to end, so any pause risks drawing Washington back in.

Sustained fighting has depleted finite interceptor stocks—THAAD inventories falling below 1,000 and Patriot to about 250—creating multi-year production bottlenecks that weaken deterrence for Ukraine and Indo-Pacific allies even as global military spending reaches a record $2.9 trillion.

The core challenge is therefore not merely exiting wars but securing settlements durable enough to halt the self-reinforcing cycle of rearmament that outpaces industrial capacity.

The global war on terror that the United States launched in 2001 was one it could choose to leave. Washington invaded Iraq and years later, it withdrew from Afghanistan. Neither exit was clean — an insurgency returned in one country and the Taliban in the other. Still, America could unilaterally decide its campaigns were over.

That power remains. Washington can stop fighting Iran, raise or lower its support for Ukraine and broker a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. What has changed is that declaring its involvement over won’t keep it out. Even if a war pauses or a deal is reached, the conflict may erupt again, pulling America back in. 

Three conflicts, albeit not equivalent, taking place across regions........

© Eurasia Review