In casually threatening US military might against Iran, Trump may have got his own forever war

It is the ultimate sanction. But somehow for President Donald Trump – who once sought a Nobel Peace Prize for ending wars – military force has become a casual measure, a kind of background effect used to cajole Iran into diplomacy. Deploying the largest military machine in history is the most serious task faced by the United States’ commander-in-chief. The Pentagon may have reduced public information about US casualties and damage to its facilities, but both remain a risk and a reality. Dozens of Iranians have died since the last bout of strikes and counterstrikes began, and thousands since February. Normalizing violence should, in itself, be a red line, and its resumption or threat not reduced to a throwaway remark. The disruptive powers of the Trump administration can bring real –- perhaps unintended –- benefits, and the president’s approach is certainly novel.