It would be so easy for Donald Trump to escape from the trap he has built for himself in the Persian Gulf. Just declare a victory and leave.
So what if the Iranians also declare a victory (with a lot more accuracy)? The "nuclear weapons" that gave Mr Trump (and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu) a pretext for attacking Iran never really existed. This would be as close to cost-free for the United States as a lost war ever gets: only a dozen American dead.
The only audience that really matters for Mr Trump is the MAGA supporters back home, and they would be so glad to see him drop this nonsense that they wouldn't say a word against him. The oil price would drop, and Republicans might even manage to hold on to both Houses of Congress in the November midterm elections.
