U.S. forces have been in war for more than 20 of the past 25 years, fighting Afghanistan, Iraq and now Iran. Presidents promised that overwhelming firepower would win wars quickly. Under George W.

Bush, troops ousted the Taliban in 2001 and Saddam in 2003; under Trump, a bombing campaign claimed many Iranian leaders on day one. Yet each conflict ended short of the political goals. Peter Bergen notes that the U.S. “does a pretty good job of breaking things at the start but falls short of the peace that follows.” He attributes this to a lack of long‑term planning and an “empire without wanting to be an empire.” Paul Salem argues the country relies on military power over diplomacy, expecting short tours rather than lasting commitments. Douglas Lute warns that when only air strikes are used, maximalist goals like regime change become unrealistic, citing similar disconnects in Iraq and Afghanistan. The war has shifted to asymmetric tactics: roadside bombs in the Middle East, low‑cost drones in Iran, and the narrowing of the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. still lacks a realistic, limited objective, as seen in the 1991 Gulf War, which remains the only recent conflict with clear, achievable goals.