Iran’s forever war: Deal or no deal, Iran’s challenge to America will outlast Trump
- Posted on May 28, 2026
- By CNN
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- 1 min read
Iran’s forever war: Deal or no deal, Iran’s challenge to America will outlast Trump
Shortly after I landed in Baghdad for the first time in January 2004, US intelligence services intercepted a letter from Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s deputy, to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. The letter discussed the use of ruthless violence to establish an Islamic caliphate— first inside Iraq and ultimately across the broader Middle East.