The US under President Donald Trump deployed a formidable military armada across West Asia, on land and sea, and the tensions with Iran have now spilled over into a region-wide conflict. The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US and Israeli joint strike left Tehran’s Islamic regime without its political and religious centre. Khamenei had been its anchor since 1989. While Ali Khamenei had not named his successor, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been chosen as the third Ayatollah since 1979.

How success in the military action against Iran will be defined from an American perspective is largely unknown. Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and now, Trump have all chased drawing down the American role in the region as a foreign policy goal. But, today, the US is close to being entrenched in another protracted conflict.

Politically, Trump has been clear that Iran is a threat, and Tehran with a nuclear weapon is not acceptable. However, he has also been consistent over the years that there will be no conventional ground invasions or military incursions into foreign territory. American planning thus........

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