THE US AT WAR
Pres. Trump promised in his campaign not to get involved in “forever wars” as the US did under Pres. G.W. Bush following 9/11 in Iraq and Afghanistan. But that does not mean that the US is not at war. For example: 19 bombing raids in Somalia from Feb. to April; air strikes in Yemen every day for a 37-day period in March and April (including a recent one on a facility housing African migrants killing 68), in addition to strikes in Iraq and Syria. It appears that the Trump policy is airstrikes wherever he wants, as long as no US troops are in danger.
The two poles of US policy in the Middle East are Israel and Iran. The US people must decide whether they want to continue unconditional support for Israel, in spite of its killing of over 50,000 Palestinians since October 2023, and unconditional opposition to Iran in spite of its renewed interest in a nuclear treaty.
Sources: The New York Times, 4/6 and 28/25 and The Economist, 4/26/25