Trump's 13,000 Iran Strikes Leave U.S. Facing Catastrophic Choices

1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 24

More than 13,000 U.S. strikes on Iran have, the report argues, left Washington with no good exit: concede to Tehran’s demands over Hormuz or escalate into a wider, costlier war.
Iran can still threaten the Strait of Hormuz with thousands of drones and missiles from its own territory, making further bombing—or even seizing Kharg Island—unlikely to reopen the waterway.
A broader campaign could trigger attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure and Red Sea shipping, pushing up oil and gas prices, stoking inflation and raising global recession risks as reserves are already depleted.
Trump is also portrayed as constrained diplomatically after alienating allies, leaving little prospect of a broad coalition for a war launched without consultation or international backing.
The report’s least-bad option is significant economic relief for Iran in exchange for reopening shipping lanes and freezing its nuclear program, while reducing long-term reliance on Hormuz through pipelines, clean energy and stronger regional defenses.