This Column Is Not About Trump’s Foreign Policy

Foreign Affairs This Column Is Not About Trump’s Foreign Policy Does this sound familiar? NORBERT SCHILLER/AFP via Getty Images The leader of a major nation decided to launch an assault on the Islamic Republic of Iran after observing its recent bouts of internal disorder. That leader, backed by pliant and corrupt political elites largely drawn from his own social circles, didn’t seem to have given much thought to strategy or tactics; his plan was just to project overwhelming force into Iranian territory and wait for the regime to collapse. He was surprised to encounter a foe who fought back with ferocity, ingenuity, and unexpectedly sophisticated technical capabilities. And he was dismayed to discover that rather than undermining the ayatollahs’ political position, his attack had strengthe