Recently a GPF subscriber asked about the likelihood of the Iran war ending with a forced compromise on Iran's nuclear program that would just bring the U.S. right back to the same place. At this point in the war, the nuclear program is secondary to the oil crisis. The U.S. certainly does not want Iran to become a nuclear power, but it seems to me that they are unable to create a nuclear weapon in the near future. Oil is a weapon that Iran and the Houthis can use to destabilize the global economy. Simply ending the war opens the door to many unpleasant actions by Iran. In the absence of the U.S. in the Middle East, Iran is a major regional power. Turkey and Pakistan may try to break Iran, but the cost would be high, and it is not certain that they are in position yet to wage a war against Iran. So abandoning the war does not necessarily end the oil crisis, and it potentially leaves Iran free to operate in the region, effecting not only energy prices but also the geopolitical structure of U.S. power in the region. Whatever you think of the war, the fundamental issue is oil prices and availability. And regional powers probably can’t break Iran without U.S. help. Wars are easy to start and hard to stop, especially if you are not in a position to impose your will on the enemy.