Why does it feel like the US and Iran are stuck in an endless conflict loop?

If you feel a sense of déjà vu with the state of the US–Iran war, you’re not alone. In recent days, Iran has again demanded the Trump administration lift sanctions on the country, unfreeze Iranian assets and remove its military blockade, in return for Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz. This basically reiterates what the two sides agreed to in a memorandum of understanding in June. US President Donald Trump responded by demanding Iran pay compensation for thousands of US soldiers and Iran’s own…