Trump’s Iran Gambit Risks a Pandora’s Box in the Gulf

Ali Vaez argues that the February 2026 U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, dubbed Epic Fury, move from limited, tactical actions to a broad, open-ended confrontation with no clear objective or exit, risking a Pandora’s box of escalation in the Gulf as Iran vows retaliation and relies on missiles and its regional network; while domestic protests complicate Tehran’s calculations, Washington’s mix of sanctions, diplomacy, and support for protesters offers no straightforward path to de-escalation, making a protracted, region-wide conflict increasingly plausible and politically costly for Trump.