Realism. Restraint.
By 
Or as we call it in the business, “coercive diplomacy:”
A large wave of American airpower is heading toward the Middle East to bolster forces already there as U.S. President Donald Trump considers an attack against Iran. Online flight trackers are showing F-22 Raptors, F-16 Fighting Falcons, E-3 Sentry radar planes and a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane either in transit across the Atlantic or newly arrived in Europe. In addition, a seventh Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer, the USS Pinckney, has recently deployed to the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR) as well, a U.S. Navy official told us.
While we don’t know whether Trump will decide to attack Iran, these are exactly the movements we’ve been expecting, but so far not seeing, in advance of a sustained operation, both defensive and offensive. The U.S. aircraft heading east represents the most intense phase of a force plus-up that began after Trump started threatening Iran over its harsh treatment of anti-regime protesters. Taken together, the force now assembling in the Middle East, combined with the Israel Air Force’s capabilities, including hundreds of fighter aircraft, as well as USAF ‘global airpower’ bomber flights, would be enough for a major operation that could last weeks not days. We will likely see additional assets deploy in the coming days.
A couple years back a bunch of think tank Pop Realists determined that the Biden administration was way too Liberal International Order which Gets the International System Wrong and is therefore Extremely Dangerous and thus decided to become Trump curious because after all Trump Was a Peacemaker interested in Spheres of Interest who would opposed Expeditionary Wars of Choice.
And yes it was just as stupid as that, and it remains just as stupid as that. Not that these folks had any actual influence over policy or on the election beyond some marginal encouragement of the notion that Kamala was Going to Send You to Die on the Frontlines in Ukraine… but here we are. The network of shabby bilateral agreements that are supposed to replace the dreaded Liberal International Order are held together by little more than the threat of tariffs and the threat of US military force, an outcome which is about as far from “Restraint” as one could possibly imagine.