How to Avoid Disaster in the Next Iran War

Whatever happens in the coming months, the prospects for a lasting peace between the United States and Iran are dim. Iran’s nuclear program, missile and drone arsenal, and proxy groups still stand; control of the Strait of Hormuz remains contested; and perhaps most important, Russian and Chinese support is facilitating a rapid Iranian reconstitution. Meanwhile, the war has exposed fundamental vulnerabilities in the United States’ Middle East posture and munitions inventories, and U.S. forces have exited the conflict exhausted and depleted. The White House and Department of Defense should expect a more difficult Iran in the months ahead. In seven…