President Donald Trump faces a standoff with Iran that has lasted more than two months without a decisive military or diplomatic victory. There is a growing risk that the conflict will drag on indefinitely, potentially leaving the United States and the world with a larger problem than existed before the war began.
Currently, there is no obvious off-ramp in sight as both sides maintain confidence that they hold the upper hand. With their positions remaining far apart, the President has not folded under pressure, though more military strikes may be necessary.
This stalemate spells trouble for the remainder of the President's second term. For both Trump and the Republican Party, the implications of a continued impasse are grim.