Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The U.S. and Iran Are Stuck in a Cycle of Military Escalation
The Wall Street Journal ^ | July 24, 2026 10:14 pm ET | Jared Malsin

Posted on 07/25/2026 1:44:14 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

ISTANBUL—The conflict between the U.S. and Iran is escalating just as the two warring parties are running up against the limits of what they can achieve through military force.

The conflict widened this week after Iranian-allied militants in Yemen began striking ships transiting a key Red Sea chokepoint, helping drive oil prices above $100 a barrel for the first time in two months on Thursday.

The U.S., meanwhile, has escalated its bombing campaign in Iran in recent days, striking throughout the country during the most intense period of fighting since President Trump and Israel began bombing Iran in late February.

Trump and other administration leaders have threatened to ratchet up the military campaign against Iran, including by striking a suspected Iranian nuclear facility at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain or by attacking Iran’s national infrastructure such as power plants in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“The price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Thursday at a summit in Manila, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s description of Tehran’s approach as “an eye for an eye.”

“The president’s policy is a head for an eye,” Rubio said. “I mean, honestly, that is what it is going to be.” He added that Trump would decide whether to escalate in the coming days.

The challenge facing Washington and Tehran is that both governments have shown a willingness to escalate, but neither is capable of achieving a decisive advantage over the other. The stalemate heightens the risk that the U.S. and Iran could be drawn into further months of war as both sides attempt to generate leverage, military analysts say.

“There is an escalatory dynamic now,” said Alan Eyre, a former...


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


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 100swounded; 123oclock4oclockzot; 18dead; 5thcolumnonfr; aidandcomfort; alltdsallthetime; americanblood; antisemite; demsurrendermonkeys; epluribusstultus; frbotscryoversource; frenemycombatants; frmullahlovers; frtrollsgetzotted; frwarpsychosis; gunflinger; hormuz; hostingtreasononfr; howsthefreepathon; iran; jaredmalsin; leftistsource; neoconbloodbath; neocondelusions; rinosurrendermonkeys; stuck; tdssurrendermonkeys; trollstuckinzotcycle; trump; wallstreeturinal; zotthenazitrash

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-85 next last

1 posted on 07/25/2026 1:44:14 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

The Wall Street Journal is owned by Rupert Murdoch who has a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just saying.


2 posted on 07/25/2026 1:48:58 PM PDT by Flavious_Maximus (Tony Fauci will be put on death row and die of COVID!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flavious_Maximus
The Wall Street Journal is owned by Rupert Murdoch who has a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just saying.

Can you refute the content of the article?

Just asking.

3 posted on 07/25/2026 1:51:21 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Israel First. America... who cares?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Let's see if Iran can keep up.

4 posted on 07/25/2026 1:51:28 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Enoch Powell warned us about Rivers of Blood. Well, I sure hope they're coming. It's the only fix.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
Don't care. We would be insane to let those religious fanatics have a nuke. We either fight World War III here and now while it's cheaper, or we fight it later when the costs are too horrible to contemplate.

If we lose the midterms, so be it. Iran must be deprived of the ability to make nukes.

5 posted on 07/25/2026 1:57:05 PM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Great catch. The same “cycle of military escalation” we’ve been in with the ragheads for the past 47 years. We’re the Great Satan guy.


6 posted on 07/25/2026 2:01:22 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The crap going on in America ISN'T immigration. It's friggin' colonization. America is falling.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DiogenesLamp
Don't care.

I can just see you with your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears screaming "I don't care."

We are on the escalation ladder predicted by the Pentagon. The Pentagon told Trump the Mullahs would not fall for years and it would destroy the world economy.

Iran has had nukes for decades, just like Israel, and just like we pretend Israel doesn't have them, we pretend Iran doesn't have them.

What Iran doesn't have his a delivery system, but Russia or China might be willing to help them out with that if things keep going the way they are.

7 posted on 07/25/2026 2:03:58 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Israel First. America... who cares?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Can’t read the article because it’s a pay to read site.

The WSJ is a hardcore interventionist & internationalist wrag that loves to cajole public opinion in those directions.

Then, when the going gets tough, they switch to a more neutral or skeptical position.


8 posted on 07/25/2026 2:04:01 PM PDT by unclebankster (Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DiogenesLamp

I agree. i think the difficulty of this fight is unfortunate. But it’s been almost 50 years of religious fanatics yelling “Death to America!” and they clearly want a nuke. And they would clearly use it as soon as they had it. They are fanatics. We have no choice — we need to stop them. Which is exactly what Trump is trying to do. I really don’t understand any pro-Americans getting upset and trying to leave this effort half-finished. I see that as a deathwish on our side.


9 posted on 07/25/2026 2:04:07 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Enoch Powell warned us about Rivers of Blood. Well, I sure hope they're coming. It's the only fix.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: unclebankster

Go to the top of my homepage and follow the instructions: https://freerepublic.com/~epluribusunum/index


10 posted on 07/25/2026 2:04:30 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Israel First. America... who cares?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

“Iran has had nukes for decades, “

How do you know?


11 posted on 07/25/2026 2:07:26 PM PDT by TexasGator (/1.1Yn.11-1i11'./1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Flavious_Maximus

Sad. I remember years ago reading the print edition,as soon as it arrived. Great paper. Days gone by. Long gone...


12 posted on 07/25/2026 2:07:36 PM PDT by jttpwalsh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
The U.S. and Iran Are Stuck in a Cycle of Military Escalation

Actually, unless you think both sides are justified, it should be one side "escalates" and one side responds.

The title and the entire article doesn't see it that way.

No surprise from the WSJ.

13 posted on 07/25/2026 2:08:33 PM PDT by FreeReign
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DiogenesLamp

Don’t care. We would be insane to let those religious fanatics have a nuke. We either fight World War III here and now while it’s cheaper, or we fight it later when the costs are too horrible to contemplate.

If we lose the midterms, so be it. Iran must be deprived of the ability to make nukes.

********************

WW3 will eventually happen, but not at this time.

What’s going to happen is Republicans will lose in the midterm elections. Then 24/7 investigations and impeachment attempts will be launched.

While this is happening for over two years, two wars will be ended, one in Europe & one in the Middle East.


14 posted on 07/25/2026 2:10:08 PM PDT by unclebankster (Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

No official government or recognized authority publicly states that Iran has had nuclear weapons for decades.


15 posted on 07/25/2026 2:14:39 PM PDT by desertsolitaire ("Wenn hinter Fliegen Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Trump should keep quiet. He told the world Iran has no army, navy, or air force left but here we are, still under threat. Stop with the we’ll blow you up, they want a deal, cease fire, bigger stuff coming, I’ll think about even bigger bombs. Just stop. Do the job quietly and effectively.


16 posted on 07/25/2026 2:16:09 PM PDT by HonorInPa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

How do you negotiate with a “twelver islamic suicide cult”? You can let them kill you or you can try to kill them.


17 posted on 07/25/2026 2:16:12 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Quit huh?
DO IT!


18 posted on 07/25/2026 2:18:03 PM PDT by SmokingJoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: unclebankster
The WSJ is a hardcore interventionist & internationalist wrag that loves to cajole public opinion in those directions.

Then, when the going gets tough, they switch to a more neutral or skeptical position.

It has always been this way with the neocons. They all swore Dubya was a strategic genius for swallowing their lies and invadign Iraq.

When it all started going south, they started revealing their "misgivings about how the war was being prosecuted."

19 posted on 07/25/2026 2:23:46 PM PDT by hcmama (Love that guy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

What is Iran escalating? Sling shots? Maybe bows and arrows. With inflation at 200 what can they buy? I will gladly give you barrels of oil tomorrow for bomber today.


20 posted on 07/25/2026 2:27:01 PM PDT by carcraft (Pray for our Country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-85 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson