Within days of President Donald Trump’s unprovoked attack on Iran in late February, right-wing media figures began predicting a short, easy conflict that would be over quickly. Major conservative pundits unilaterally declared in early March that the war was a “wrap-up mission at this point,” a “done deal,” and “winding down.” Instead, the war is about to enter its sixth month with no clear end in sight, with the potential for escalation seemingly everywhere. Where right-wing media promised a cakewalk, the Trump administration has delivered a quagmire, as recent developments make clear. The U.S. military resumed striking targets in Iran in the middle of July, following the breakdown of a largely illusory ceasefire.