Erosion of hegemonic restraint

Across three Gulf Wars (1991, 2003, 2026) U.S. policy moved from coalition‑backed restraint to unilateral, spectacle‑driven interventions. Each successive conflict removed legal and diplomatic checks—thinner coalitions, weaker UN backing, and fading deference to allies—making extreme options (like decapitation strikes) more likely and more destabilizing. — If true, this pattern implies that future U.S. use of force will be less constrained by allies or law, increasing risks to global trade (e.g., oil), alliance cohesion, and escalation dynamics.