In August 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson asked Congress to back his effort to widen the U.S. role in Vietnam. He received it with enactment of the T onkin Gulf Resolution, which passed both chambers of Congress, including the Senate, with only two dissenting votes.

Trump hopes to emerge as a bold commander who achieved a goal long sought by the United States -- destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities without being drawn into a lasting conflict. Middle East history shows the difficulty of achieving that goal.