The fundamental problem for Trump in finding an acceptable end to the Iran War is asymmetry—which, except for military power, favors Iran:

✔️Asymmetry of geography—Iran can close the Strait; US can’t open it.

✔️Asymmetry of nuclear materials—Iran has it, the US wants it.

✔️Asymmetry of regime—Iran can ignore its public ; Trump cannot.

✔️ Asymmetry of means—Iran can use cheap drones and plentiful missiles to hold neighbors hostage; US cannot defend them against attack.

✔️Asymmetry of interests—Iran is fighting for survival; US is still figuring out what it’s fighting for.

For 50 days, Trump has sought to use US military power to overcome these asymmetries. But he’s finding out what everyone knew before: there are limits what military power can do when fighting an entrenched regime bent on survival. His increasingly erratic behavior is proof that he’s caught in a vice of his own creation.