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Commentary

America’s Institutional Deficit and the War in Iran

The first year of Donald Trump’s second term was marked by a hollowing out of non-military tools of national power. The elimination of USAID, deep cuts to the State Department and the intelligence community, and the shuttering of the Voice of America made the war in Iran more likely and constrain Washington’s options for ending it on favourable terms.

5-minute read
18 April 2026
By Paul Fritch
A US Navy MH-60 Helicopter patrols the Strait of Hormuz
A US Navy MH-60 Helicopter patrols the Strait of Hormuz
5-minute read
Since the very beginning of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, the conflict has exposed gaps in the U.S. policy toolkit caused by the Trump administration’s yearlong assault on the “administrative state.” On 28 February 2026, Donald Trump announced the start of the campaign with an explicit call for regime change. Speaking directly to “the great proud people of Iran”, he urged ordinary citizens: “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations”.

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