An article in NYM from a few days ago advised us that Trump only had the ability to decide which way to lose his war. Is that correct?
Not if he is willing to accept the consequences of winning. He can order a ground invasion and shatter his party for the foreseeable future, bomb the civilian population and become a war criminal, or simply maintain the blockade through the midterms and suffer a greater electoral defeat than is otherwise necessary.
It is worth remembering that the immediate Iranian leverage on gas prices disappears after the midterms, which are now less than three months away. And if the GOP fares poorly, Trump can always turn up the dial on autocracy, which is exactly what I expect him to do.