General Stanley McChrystal in a recent NYT interview laid out why the entire Iran war strategy is built on magical thinking. He described three “great seductions” that trap American administrations: covert action that never stays covert, surgical Special Ops raids that don’t change facts on the ground, and the myth of air power dominance. He’s seen all three up close. And he’s watching all three fail in real time in Iran.

“Everything after this will be harder,” McChrystal said.