politics
March 13, 2026
An Achievable Goal in Iran
President Trump prides himself on being a rule breaker, but he is discovering a rule he can’t break: Good statecraft demands clear objectives. Trump has billed the war with Iran as a one-time opportunity for Iranians to take back their country. This implies regime change, yet the administration’s ambitions have in fact been vague and inconsistent. By offering a grab bag of justifications and intentions, the United States has been squandering an opportunity to declare a goal that is both necessary and achievable: Instead of changing Iran’s regime, the U.S. should fatally weaken it.
TL;DR
- Good statecraft requires clear objectives, a rule Trump is finding difficult to break.
- Trump has presented the conflict with Iran as a chance for Iranians to take back their country, implying regime change.
- The administration's ambitions regarding Iran have been vague and inconsistent.
- The U.S. is squandering an opportunity by offering mixed justifications and intentions.
- A necessary and achievable goal would be to fatally weaken Iran's regime, instead of attempting regime change.
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