The sudden U.S. military confrontation with Iran reflects a breakdown in strategic planning in Washington, exposing contradictions in American policy and creating far-reaching geopolitical, military, and economic consequences across the Middle East and beyond.
The Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system is deployed by some Arab Gulf states to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles targeting regional bases, infrastructure and urban centers.
8-minute read
The Trump administration’s decision to launch large-scale military strikes against Iran marks a dramatic reversal of its own recently published strategic doctrine. Rather than stemming from a coherent inter-departmental policy planning process, the operation reflects the improvised nature of the White House’s decision-making process, which bypasses normal political, legal and diplomatic preparation. In this commentary, former high-level State Department career officer Paul Fritch examines the war’s contradictions in Washington’s strategy, the extent to which is risks escalating regional instability, and how it weakens the United States’ ability to manage global security challenges from Europe to the Indo-Pacific.
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