New turbulence upends stability of Iran war for Trump 

There is new turbulence in the war in Iran — but the pressing question is whether any of it will change the underlying realities of the six-month conflict.

The latest dramatic development was an exchange of fire late Sunday in which the United States first attacked two Iranian rocket launchers that were reportedly seeking to deploy new mines in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by firing several missiles toward U.S. forces deployed in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, though the counterstrikes appear to have been largely intercepted.

It does not look like a slide back toward full-scale war is imminent, even amid the volatility.

On Monday morning, President Trump again lashed out at Iran, which he contended was “officially a Failed Nation” with leadership “in total disarray.”

But social media posts alone don’t change the state of a conflict that has endured far longer than Trump’s initial projections and looks sure to be an electoral burden on Republicans in November’s midterm elections.

Even the relatively modest scale of the newest exchanges of fire caused the price of benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude oil to rise ​more than 3 percent at one point on Monday. The price hovered around $86 per barrel, roughly $20 up from prewar levels.

Meanwhile, polls show the American public disapproving of Trump’s handling of Iran by almost 2 to 1.

Still, it’s always possible that public perception could shift if the war were perceived to be moving onto a different, more positive trajectory for the U.S.

Some people think it might — and not all of them are pro-Trump.

Brett McGurk, the controversial foreign policy adviser who has served presidents of both parties and........

© The Hill