Listen to any U.S. official with access to a microphone and chances are that you will be subjected to assurances about how the war in Iran is going according to plan.
Donald Trump insists the fighting will be over shortly after the midterm elections in November. Pete Hegseth, his defence secretary, is adamant that the U.S. military possesses all the equipment, munitions and time it needs to force the Iranians into a humiliating surrender. Victory is surely around the corner.
Of course, the reality of the situation doesn’t match the rose-coloured glasses dangling in front of the Trump administration’s eyes. The war, in fact, isn’t going according to plan and hasn’t from the first week of combat operations.
If it were, Iran would have signed a deal by now, the Strait of Hormuz would be open to unfettered tanker traffic and Saudi Arabia’s major East-West pipeline would still be functioning. Even the Pentagon’s attempt to provide as little information as possible to the public can’t hide what we all see with our naked eyes.
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