Mike Littwin Argues Iran Conflict Already Became Forever War

The Strait of Hormuz is quiet now, but it’s the quiet of a held breath. Ships still move through the narrow choke point, but they do so with their eyes on the sky. The threat isn’t gone. It’s just waiting for the next order.

Mike Littwin thinks we’re past the point of no return. In a column published by the Colorado Sun, he asks the question locals have been avoiding since the bombs started falling six months ago: When does this conflict officially become a forever war?

The short version? It already is.

Littwin cuts through the political fluff. He defines a forever war not by a calendar, but by a lack of exit strategy. It’s an unwinnable fight where neither side trusts the other enough to sign a deal that sticks. That’s where we stand with Iran.

The U.S. claims it has obliterated Iran’s military capabilities. That’s the Trump word of choice. Iran says it’s still standing. It’s still launching drones at the few ships willing to brave the strait. It’s still holding the line.

The 60-day Memorandum of Understanding didn’t just fail. It became a Memorandum of Misunderstanding. The document slipped away into the ether. Littwin calls it flawed. He says the war is flawed.

Trump’s current playbook is simple: squeeze. He wants to tighten economic sanctions. He’s blocking Iranian ports. He’s threatening to bomb Oman, a longtime ally, just to make a point. He’s even threatening to end Iran’s thousands-of-years-old Persian civilization. Don’t ask why Oman. Just accept it.

Iran isn’t rolling over. They’re rearming. Reports suggest they’re getting help from China. Their goal isn’t just survival. It’s widening the war. They want to damage other U.S. allies in the region. They expect Trump to resume bombing after the November midterm elections. They’re playing the long game.

Littwin sees two ways out, and neither is pretty. Trump could slink away. Or he could commit to ground troops. That’s the only way to force a surrender when Iran refuses to give up its hold on the waterway.

Here’s the lesson: Iran learned that controlling the passage is a better deterrent than a nuclear bomb. It’s cheaper. It’s more effective. It keeps the global economy hostage without the risk of total annihilation.

This isn’t just about oil prices in Glenwood Springs or gas in Grand Junction. It’s about whether this country can accept a conflict with no end date. We’ve seen it before. Afghanistan lasted 20 years. It ended disastrously. Vietnam and Iraq didn’t last forever, but they lasted long enough to break a generation.

The Strait of Hormuz is the lever. Iran holds it. The U.S. can bomb the lever, but it can’t break it. Not yet.

Littwin notes that Iran’s leadership expects the bombing to pause after the midterms. That gives them time to rebuild. To rearm. To prepare for the next round.

So, when does it end? Not when the bombs stop falling. Not when the sanctions bite. It ends when one side decides the cost of holding the line is higher than the cost of walking away.

Right now, neither side is walking. They’re digging in.

The war in Iran is no longer a crisis. It’s a condition. And like any chronic condition, it requires management, not a cure. We’re just waiting to see if the patient survives the treatment.

Or if the treatment kills the patient.

Littwin doesn’t offer a solution. He offers a warning. The definition of a forever war is clear. We’re living inside it. The only question left is how long we’re willing to pay the bill.