Will the Gulfies dump Trump?

Excerpt We know the playbook by now. Donald Trump intermittently bombs Iran, albeit less intensely than when the US and Israel began their war in February. Meanwhile, his threats escalate along with his claims that the Iranians are actually begging for a deal. Never mind that this narrative is broken by leaks from the Pentagon and blatant Iranian contempt. On the President goes, hoping this latest round of threats will finally break the deadlock. But for how long can his reverie last? After all, rumors of diminishing stockpiles only confirm what a lot of folks, though perhaps not the President, have known for weeks: the US will shortly run out of crucial missiles, drastically impairing its offensive and defensive capacities. The senior brass in the Pentagon have made it clear through leaks that they want an “off-ramp” from this conflict. As for Iran, and despite the considerable damage done to its missile and drone capabilities, it seems able to keep Hormuz effectively closed and its Arab neighbors burning for however long is needed. Reuel Marc Gerecht is a Resident Scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former Iranian-targets officer in the Central Intelligence Agency.