THE IRAN WAR IS STALLED. IS PETE HEGSETH ABOUT TO BE SACRIFICED? President Trump now says the U.S. may have gone too far by targeting Iran’s leadership because Washington no longer knows who it can negotiate with. Seven months into the war, 81 U.S. aircraft have been lost or damaged, at least 21 service members have been killed, and 865 wounded. Billions have been spent, yet no clear path to victory remains. The strategy was simple: remove Iran’s leadership and force collapse. It failed. Iran hardened, more hardline figures rose, and Trump now admits the U.S. may have eliminated the people needed to end the conflict. If the intelligence behind the leadership strikes was wrong, what else is Washington getting wrong? Trump says China and Russia are not significantly aiding Iran and argues the U.S. would know if they were. But the war remains stalled. Ending it will require concessions, and Washington will need someone to blame. Trump reportedly has reservations about livestreaming the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, a plan publicly backed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The report remains unconfirmed, but it suggests potential friction inside the administration. Reports also say more service members are seeking conscientious-objector discharges, while as many as 60 troops have objected to participating in Hasan’s execution. With midterms approaching, a prolonged war, casualties, rising costs, and public exhaustion are becoming a political problem. When the pressure mounts, someone will take the fall. And as the administration looks for a way out, is Pete Hegseth becoming the fall guy for its failure in Iran? With midterms approaching, a prolonged war, casualties, rising costs, and public exhaustion are becoming a political liability. When the pressure peaks, someone will take the fall. Dr. Trita Parsi (@tparsi) joins us to break it down.