If you assume that Trump can’t find a magic escalation formula that will solve his Iran problems at an acceptable price, he will be caught in a classic dilemma. On the one hand, he doesn’t want to make an Obama deal, because that would make him a loser. On the other hand, if the war continues much longer, he will take a beating in the midterms, with everything that portends for his future. Which is worse–Scylla or Charybdis?
If he asked me for advice, which he won’t, I would tell him to rely on his incomparable ability to lie. Make the Obama deal and pretend it’s something better. Sure, lots of people won’t buy into it, but the base will, and that’s what matters.