President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that the conflict with Iran will conclude in two to three weeks, claiming the regime is “really no longer a threat.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains shut, and the United States has moved thousands of ground troops into the region, though the administration has offered no clear plan for the final phase.
Public opinion strongly opposes another large‑scale ground war, and analysts warn that any escalation could damage Trump’s already fragile approval ratings and jeopardize Republican prospects in upcoming elections.
Levin Urges Immediate Arming of Iranians
Mark Levin, a former Reagan administration official and prominent neoconservative commentator, posted on X on Tuesday urging the United States to “ARM THE IRANIAN PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY!”
Levin argued that arming Iranian civilians, as the Reagan administration did in Afghanistan, Angola and Nicaragua, would enable them to fight back against the regime without further U.S. combat involvement.
Historical Record Questions Effectiveness
Critics note that arming rebel groups has produced mixed or disastrous results in U.S. history.
In 2015 the Pentagon spent $500 million to train up to 15,000 Syrian rebels against ISIS, but only a handful reached the battlefield and most were quickly eliminated, captured or defected.
U.S.-trained Iraqi and Afghan forces likewise collapsed under enemy pressure, leaving American‑supplied weapons in the hands of terrorist groups.
The Reagan administration’s support for UNITA in Angola provided Stinger missiles but failed to prevent the MPLA’s victory, after which Angola turned to China for oil and mineral deals.
In Nicaragua, the Reagan administration funneled funds to the Contras by selling weapons to Iran, sparking the Iran‑Contra scandal that ultimately did not alter the Sandinista grip on power.
During the 1980s the CIA armed Afghan mujahideen in Operation Cyclone, a campaign that helped drive the Soviet withdrawal but later contributed to the rise of the Taliban and al‑Qaeda, culminating in the 9/11 attacks and the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
Levin and fellow neoconservatives continue to promote the idea despite these precedents, betting that a short‑term arming effort could avoid a prolonged U.S. ground presence.
Analysts warn that supplying weapons to Iranians could ignite a protracted civil war and risk destabilizing a nation of 85 million people with nuclear ambitions, making the strategy too hazardous to pursue.
Public sentiment remains firmly against another extensive Middle East conflict, and Trump’s approval ratings may suffer further if the war escalates.
