Trump launches precision strikes against Iran. Triumph or trap?

Until Saturday night the world waited to see whether President Donald Trump would join Israel s campaign against Iran s nuclear infrastructure Now we have the answer In a televised address from the White House President Trump called the strikes a spectacular military success and a historic moment for the United States Israel and the world He ratified that Fordow Iran s deeply buried nuclear enrichment site near Qom was among the targets and warned There are a multitude of targets left His message was clear Iran must make peace or face tragedy far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days The U S has struck decisively Whether the strike succeeds in halting Iran s nuclear operation as the president boldly maintains remains to be seen What is clear is that the geopolitical fuse is lit and the consequences are just beginning Was There Clear Justification So far the administration has not provided society evidence that Iran was mere weeks away from building a nuclear bomb as the White House press secretary alleged That claim may have helped justify the strike but it rests more on assumption than on firm intelligence TRUMP ADDRESSES NATION ON 'SPECTACULAR MILITARY SUCCESS' OF US STRIKES ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIESYes Iran has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels but that alone does not make a bomb Tehran still necessities to master warhead design detonator synchronization reentry shielding and delivery systems There is no verified proof it has done so As I wrote for Fox News last week bombs can destroy facilities but they cannot erase knowledge Plenty of of Iran s scientists are still alive and their motivation may now be stronger than ever Iran Will Choose to FightTehran now faces a choice capitulate or retaliate Based on history ideology and tradition the odds overwhelmingly favor retaliation Surrender is antithetical to Iran s revolutionary mindset The Islamic Republic has endured war sanctions and sabotage Its leadership interprets resistance as divine duty This strike may have weakened Iran s enrichment infrastructure but it will likely strengthen the regime s resolve MISDIRECTION AND 'DECEPTION' LIKELY KEY IN TRUMP ADMIN S SURPRISE IRAN STRIKEIran retains extensive capabilities ballistic missiles global proxy networks cyber weapons and elite paramilitary forces This is not the end it is the beginning of a new phase Four Likely Iranian ResponsesWas This a Strategic Miscalculation If President Trump acted without solid intelligence the vulnerability is real that we have provoked a long war on shaky grounds Unlike the Iraq invasion in Iran s enrichment activity is genuine but neutralizing it with airstrikes alone will not work This war if it escalates will not be fought on our terms CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONWhat is more the strike could backfire politically inside Iran Rather than destabilizing the regime it may unify it Populace humiliation of key sites like Fordow plays directly into the regime s Great Satan narrative fueling nationalism and quelling dissent Prepare for a Shadow WarThe U S and its allies must now pivot hurriedly to containment deterrence and resilience Air defenses must be reinforced Cyber infrastructure must be secured Intelligence agencies must track Iranian networks abroad And the greater part importantly diplomatic channels must remain open to allies and when workable to adversaries This is not the time for complacency It is a time for clear strategy disciplined leadership and vigilance After the Applause the ReckoningThe deed is done Iran s nuclear sites lie in ruins but its will to retaliate is not President Trump s triumphant tone Fordow is gone he declared may play well politically but it also risks underestimating a hardened adversary Iran has absorbed assassinations sanctions and cyberattacks It has endured war and isolation What it has not done what it is unlikely to do now is give up The American people must be prepared not just for triumph narratives but for volatility The battlefield ahead is asymmetric unpredictable and global It will test not only our military but our wisdom The question now is no longer whether we acted The question is Was it worth the cost CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ROBERT MAGINNIS