Trump’s Iran deal is result of unrealistic ambitions for an untenable war

US entered war with maximalist goals and exits it with pragmatic decision to end conflict despite political cost

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As the adage goes: no plan of battle survives first contact with the enemy.

Donald Trump entered the war with Iran with maximalist goals: eliminating the country’s nuclear programme, destroying its ballistic missile programme and ending its support for regional military groups including Hezbollah and Hamas.