with no clear exit strategy. After five months of war, his options appear extremely limited, and he seems to be improvising plans as he goes. Trump has promised to "hit them very hard" in retaliation for Iranian attacks on US bases in Jordan, yet his strategy of forcing Iranian capitulation through air strikes has failed. The conflict has spread from Iraq to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, leaving the president at an impasse. A cabinet meeting at Camp David offered no sign of strategic shift, and unnamed officials report Trump was "exasperated" by his limited options to end the war. The situation largely depends on Tehran. After US and Israeli strikes on February 28 killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, things have not gone according to plan. Trump initially projected a four-to-six-week timeline, and while US officials claim key military objectives were achieved—destroying Iran's navy and degrading its missile capabilities—the fight now centers on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has disrupted shipping. A June 17 ceasefire agreement has already collapsed, with both sides trading strikes. Experts are pessimistic. Richard Haass questioned why this approach would work now when it hasn't in five months. Karen Young called the conflict "still in early stages" with no quick solutions, warning that even regime change could increase instability. Attacks have also weakened Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Gulf states. The war is largely unpopular in the United States. Polls show 58.3 percent of Americans oppose the fighting—steadily rising since March—while 37.4 percent support it. With November midterm elections three months away—historically difficult for the party controlling the White House—Trump risks losing Republican majorities in Congress. Middle East Institute fellow Alex Vatanka described the situation as a "lose-lose equation" where "neither side is benefiting." (Bssnews)