The US is stacking warships and troops in the Middle East ahead of what looks like a much bigger war with Iran — bad news for both countries, and for a public that mostly opposes it.

• A third aircraft carrier and up to 10,000 more Marines are headed to the region, arriving by the end of November.
• Air defense units and the 82nd Airborne, which can parachute into enemy territory, have had their deployments extended.
• Trump has said publicly and privately that he plans to resume bombing Iran after the midterms, and Iran is preparing for exactly that.
• Marco Rubio cut short the Iranian delegation's US visit instead of taking their offer of a short negotiating window, killing the last diplomatic opening.
• Three out of four Americans do not want this war, and there is open talk of using nuclear weapons against a country with no nuclear weapon.

Outlook: A far larger war looks likely to start soon after the November midterms, with no real check from Congress or the Pentagon.