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News Analysis: Trump, long a critic of 'forever wars,' may be stumbling into one with Iran
Los Angeles Times ^ | July 20, 2026 3 AM PT | Nabih Bulos

Posted on 07/20/2026 1:16:43 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

BEIRUT — President Trump long railed against forever wars.

For years, whether as president or candidate, he flayed electoral opponents and previous presidents with his signature barbs, calling their entanglements a “complete waste of time” (Afghanistan), “the worst single mistake ever made in the history of our country” (Iraq) and “stupid” (Ukraine).

Yet he now appears to be stumbling into a forever war of his own.

From the first days of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, Trump and his officials insisted their adventure abroad would be the exception, that the conflict would end in a matter of weeks.

Now, 4½ months later, after a torturous, start-stop vacillation between truce and war, the U.S. is pressing on with a fight that has no end in sight — or even a clear definition of what an acceptable end would be.

In the last week, the ceasefire collapsed, with the U.S. and Iran trading daily waves of strikes, leading to the deaths of two American servicemen on Friday when Iranian ballistic missiles struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, where U.S. assets and personnel are stationed.

On Sunday, as the U.S. and Iran launched more air assaults, the U.S. announced that a service member was killed Saturday in Iraq during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone.

The deaths in Jordan were the first combat fatalities since the U.S...

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: 123oclock4oclockzot; alltdsallthetime; butukraineisok; concerntroll; concerntrolling; demedia; foreverwars; ibtz; iran; laslimes; losangelesslimes; losangelestimes; mullahloversonfr; multiplenicks; nabihbulos; officialdemnarrative; randspam; rop; tds; terroristloversonfr; waronterror; worldwar3; zot
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To: Red Badger
This ‘war’ could be ended in one day. Hiroshima style.........................

Once the nuclear genie is out of the bottle, then what?

Russia could end the Ukraine war "in one day" too.

If it's OK for us to do it, why wouldn't it be OK for them?

81 posted on 07/20/2026 4:41:01 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Israel über alles.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I was thinking on this.
The “ceasefire” was probably all designed to allow our ships and planes to restock stores.


82 posted on 07/20/2026 4:44:39 PM PDT by Zathras
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

He should have dealt with Cuba first.


83 posted on 07/20/2026 4:46:05 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: jimwatx
Geez, dial back the estrogen.
84 posted on 07/20/2026 4:47:14 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (TANSTAAFL)
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To: Alberta's Child

Which part are you disagreeing with?


85 posted on 07/20/2026 4:55:51 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Gunslingr3

Lol ive been here since the Iraq War. Sorry to disappoint. Get a grip.

This is more like Desert Storm than the Iraq War.


86 posted on 07/20/2026 4:57:47 PM PDT by MrRelevant
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
The Los Angeles Times is applying Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals." Make the enemy live up to its own rules. Force opponents to follow their own regulations.
87 posted on 07/20/2026 5:17:35 PM PDT by jonrick46 (The DemonKKKrat Marxists ride Unicorns on their fantasy farms.)
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To: Pelham

true or false. Two nights of firebombing Tokyo killed more people than either atomic bomb.

Completed 3 steps
Mostly true, with an important caveat — it depends on whether you count immediate deaths or the full cumulative toll.

The claim refers to the U.S. firebombing of Tokyo on the night of March 9–10, 1945 (Operation Meetinghouse), the deadliest air raid in history. Here’s how the numbers break down:

Tokyo firebombing (March 9–10, 1945): roughly 90,000–100,000 killed, most in a single night (
Wikipedia
, Britannica, Truman Library).

Hiroshima (Aug. 6, 1945): about 70,000–80,000 immediate deaths, rising to ~140,000 by the end of 1945 once radiation deaths were counted (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Hiroshima city).

Nagasaki (Aug. 9, 1945): about 40,000 immediate deaths, rising to ~70,000–74,000 by end of 1945 (BBC, ICAN).

So measured by immediate deaths, the Tokyo firebombing did kill more people than either atomic bomb — which is the way this claim is most commonly meant (CNN, BBC).

The caveat: if you count total deaths through the end of 1945, Hiroshima’s cumulative toll (~140,000) eventually surpassed Tokyo’s (~100,000) because radiation sickness kept killing survivors for months. Also, strictly speaking it was one devastating night rather than two — though Tokyo was hit by incendiary raids on several nights throughout the spring of 1945.


88 posted on 07/20/2026 5:32:32 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (It's not what the media reports; it's what they don't report that's important)
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To: KitJ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ggr3HvyS4


89 posted on 07/20/2026 5:33:14 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s, you weren't really there)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

forever wars have high profit margins


90 posted on 07/20/2026 5:35:57 PM PDT by Third Person
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To: Toddsterpatriot

Last time I had my total testosterone measured it was 953. Not bad for someone who’s 70.


91 posted on 07/20/2026 5:39:00 PM PDT by jimwatx
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To: ChildOfThe60s

Excellent 10 minute video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ggr3HvyS4

VDH is a brilliant man. Thank you for sharing.


92 posted on 07/20/2026 5:50:44 PM PDT by KitJ (Shall not be infringed...)
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To: Red6
I wasn't presenting as an "argument." I point it out because this is what the public perception of this stupid military campaign is based on.

If the 2024 presidential election was replayed tomorrow, Trump would lose to Kamala Harris -- in a landslide.

Nothing more needs to be said.

93 posted on 07/20/2026 5:55:08 PM PDT by Alberta's Child (If I leave here, it’s because I’m tired of arguing with geriatric parrots wearing MAGA hats.)
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To: ealgeone
Which part are you disagreeing with?

That the U.S. is fighting a "war with Islam" at all.

94 posted on 07/20/2026 5:56:46 PM PDT by Alberta's Child (If I leave here, it’s because I’m tired of arguing with geriatric parrots wearing MAGA hats.)
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To: Bobbyvotes

So we’ve “obliterated” their military....but they still have drones. *rolls eyes


95 posted on 07/20/2026 5:59:47 PM PDT by nonliberal (Pinochet did nothing wrong.)
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To: qam1

This.


96 posted on 07/20/2026 6:02:44 PM PDT by nonliberal (Pinochet did nothing wrong.)
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To: KitJ

We’ve “obliterated” the Iranian military like four times now and they are still firing missiles. *derp* they still have drones *derp* Then they haven’t been obliterated yet, have they?


97 posted on 07/20/2026 6:06:04 PM PDT by nonliberal (Pinochet did nothing wrong.)
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To: nonliberal

Iran is bigger than Texas + California combined!
Lots of places to hide drones.

Obliterating Iran’s economy is the best way to demolish IRGC.
We are 80% already there. Iran’s currency has lost all its value. 90% of Oil revenue is obliterated by the blockade. But they can fire drones for a few more weeks.

Kuwait just intercepted all drones fired at them this week.


98 posted on 07/20/2026 6:15:06 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (Work is best form of worship to Gods.. per Bhagavad at ratio Geeta, the Hindu sacred book. )
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To: MrRelevant
This is more like Desert Storm than the Iraq War.

Congressional authorization for Operation Desert Storm was established through House Joint Resolution 77 and Senate Joint Resolution 2, which were passed on January 12, 1991.

The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 was enacted by Congress in October of that year.

This war is like Clinton's illegal NATO war against Serbia, or Obama's NATO war against Libya, or Biden's coalition of misfits against Yemen that Trump eventually pulled the plug on.

99 posted on 07/20/2026 6:30:05 PM PDT by Gunslingr3
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Trumo’s ceasefire MOU and the lifting of the blockade may be one of the most reckless incompetent actions he has taken on par with the disastrous Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan.

He should have finished the job he started and forced a surrender rather than a ceasefire that was so badly negotiated. Trump has shown that he is no Gnerneral Patton on war strategy.


100 posted on 07/20/2026 6:35:55 PM PDT by GregH ( )
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