It’s time to cut bait. The time has come to detach ourselves from the complete mess Donald J. Trump has gotten himself, and the American military, into. It is time to say goodbye to “Epic Fury” and the disaster it has evolved into.

We were all in when President Trump finally unleashed his massive American military power on February 28 with the stated goal of dismantling Iran’s military capabilities, eliminating its senior leadership, ending its nuclear ambitions, crippling its ballistic missile program, and ultimately helping free the Iranian people from their sadistic jihadist regime. Epic Fury has become an epic fiasco.  Israel’s concurrent operation, “Lion’s Roar,” now feels more like a whimper, and we are in danger of going down with the American ship. It has to stop, and it has to stop now!

It has been seven weeks since Trump’s inexcusable decision to declare a ceasefire just as Iran appeared to be on the ropes, gasping for air before what could have been a knockout blow. Instead of the “unconditional surrender” he kept promising and seemed close to achieving, he pulled Iran off the canvas and gave the regime exactly what it needed most: time to recover.

That pause changed everything.

The Iranians regrouped, regained leverage in negotiations, threatened the global economy by closing off the Strait of Hormuz, and made Donald Trump look increasingly weak and desperate. After absorbing the opening blows from the US-Israel tag team, the momentum has clearly shifted in Iran’s favor.

Iran is no longer behaving like a regime on life support. It is now dictating terms to the Americans, fully aware that most Americans have little appetite for a prolonged war or regime change. The American people were never enthusiastic about this conflict to begin with, and now, months later, many see no clear victory, no meaningful concessions, and no worthwhile........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)