Latest US foray into military action has a name: The Trump Doctrine

With his order for B-2 bombers to strike Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, President Donald Trump swerved away from his usual reluctance to use military force, directly involving the US in a foreign war and alarming many of his "America First" supporters.

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Now, the thinking behind his decision has a name, according to Vice-President J.D. Vance: The Trump Doctrine.

Mr. Vance laid out the elements in remarks on June 24: Articulate a clear American interest, try to solve a problem with diplomacy and, if that fails, "use overwhelming military power to solve it, and then you get out of there before it ever becomes a protracted conflict."

To some observers, however, the new doctrine sounds like an effort to offer a tidy framework to describe a foreign policy that often looks unpredictable and inconsistent.

"It is hard for me to relate seriously to something called the 'Trump Doctrine,'" said Middle East analyst Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"I don't think Trump has a doctrine. I think Trump has only held instincts."

Mr. Trump's decision to get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran came after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Iran would not give up its ability to enrich uranium.

Soon after the US air strikes, Mr. Trump announced a ceasefire, which has mostly held.