Here we go again—another day, another “send in the troops” pitch from the old guard.
An opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal is calling for a major escalation in the Iran conflict, with former Pentagon official Seth Cropsey urging Donald Trump to deploy U.S. ground forces to southern Iran.
Yes—boots on the ground.
Cropsey argues that thousands of special operations forces, backed by regular troops, should be sent in to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and “finish the job.” According to him, anything less risks damaging U.S. credibility and could even embolden rivals like China or Russia.
That’s a pretty big leap—but it’s the argument being made.
He also points to Iran’s long history as a U.S. adversary and compares the current moment to the Suez Crisis, warning that failing to act decisively could weaken America’s global standing.
Now here’s where things get interesting.
While the editorial pushes for escalation, Trump himself has been… let’s say, a bit more strategic. He’s made it clear the U.S. is close to achieving its objectives, and has even floated the idea of winding things down—while still keeping all options on the table.
In classic Trump fashion: keep everyone guessing.
At one moment, he’s saying he’s not putting troops anywhere. The next, he reminds everyone that if he were, he wouldn’t exactly announce it ahead of time. Not exactly the kind of predictability the foreign policy establishment is used to.
And that’s really the divide here.
On one side, you’ve got the traditional voices—like those at the Journal—pushing for a more aggressive, intervention-heavy approach. On the other, Trump is balancing pressure with flexibility, using leverage without rushing into another prolonged ground war.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time Trump and the Murdoch media orbit have clashed. Disputes over reporting, anonymous sources, and internal GOP dynamics have been simmering for a while, with critics arguing that legacy outlets are increasingly out of sync with the current direction of the party.
So while the calls for escalation get louder, the decision ultimately rests where it always has—with Trump.
And so far, he’s playing it the way he always does: strong, unpredictable, and firmly in control of the next move.
The bottom line? The pressure is on, the options are open, and for now, the strategy isn’t being dictated by editorial pages.
