Trump’s Iran gamble falters as war drags on amid concerns of long-term chaos

A month after the US and Israel launched the war with Iran, nothing seems to be going according to President Donald Trump’s plan for a conflict lasting four to six weeks.Despite the assassinations of most of the Islamic Republic’s political and military leaders, the regime shows no signs of collapse.Similarly, wave after wave of US and Israeli air strikes may have degraded Iran’s ballistic missile and drone capabilities, but they still look set to remain a potent threat to the region for the duration of the conflict – and beyond.In stark contrast to the Trump administration’s demands for capitulation, diplomatic proposals exchanged via Pakistan’s government in recent days have seen Iran harden its position.Washington wants Tehran to dismantle its nuclear enrichment facilities and surrender its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium estimated to be sufficient for 11 warheads.Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, the United Arab Emirates, on March 11. Photo: APUS conditions for ending the war also include scrapping all Iranian missiles except those for defensive purposes, and ending Tehran’s support for allied “Axis of Resistance” militias including Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.