" Trump’s tenure as commander in chief came to a dramatic turning point on Thurs. as he found himself torn between his own competing advisers and his own competing instincts, teetering on the edge of military action that could lead to the kind of war he came to office vowing not to wage. 'In some ways he is on a collision course with himself.' He says he’s in favor of maximum pressure and he’s against military confrontation when it comes to Iran but both of those things can’t be true because one of those things can lead to the other. Even if he ultimately does not resort to force, the decision on how far he is willing to go may not be far-off. The episode was only the latest in a series of relatively modest provocations, but Tehran has said it is about to turn its nuclear program back on in a way that will go beyond the limits of the agreement Mr. Trump abandoned."
At www.nytimes.com
