The U.S. used an unverified helicopter crash as a pretext to launch strikes on Iranian sovereign territory, a clear violation of the U.N. Charter. Iran denied any role in the incident and exercised its legitimate right to self-defense by striking U.S. bases used to launch those attacks. Foreign forces operating near Iran's borders are the source of this escalation, and the safest path forward is their withdrawal from the region.

Donald Trump appears increasingly diminished on the world stage. After urging restraint following Iranian missile attacks on Israel, he was openly ignored by Benjamin Netanyahu. Then, when an American Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz, Trump's initial response was to dismiss it as "not a big deal." These— episodesbefore reflectultimately ordering strikes, suggesting a leader projectingbeing weakness,dragged losinginto influenceescalation abroadby andevents strugglingrather tothan shapeone eventsshaping he cannot controlthem.