Don’t Ask How the Iran War Ends

Elliot Cohen: “The most important facts of the conflict are its deep historical and religious roots, and the virtual absence of any possibility of a real reconciliation or lasting peacemaking, although truces and suspensions of violence have occurred and will again. The war will not end until the Islamic Republic of Iran collapses or undergoes some transformation; neither outcome is predictable, and neither may happen in the next few months or years. And if either occurs, it will probably come as a surprise.”

“That glum assessment is only one part of the picture, however. The act of fighting a war transforms many things—it throws a chessboard up in the air, and when the board lands, the pieces are in different places; even the rules of the game may have changed.”