By my count, and I’m sure I’ve missed a few, these include outright regime change, assistance to the oppressed peoples of the Islamic Republic, stripping Iran of “the ability to project power outside its borders,” stopping future Iranian-sponsored terrorist attacks while exacting revenge for past ones, preëmptive action against an imminent Iranian threat to attack U.S. forces, preëmptive action to block Iran from building ballistic missiles that could hit the U.S. mainland, and preëmptive action to stop the Iranian nuclear program that Trump had, as recently as last week, claimed was “obliterated.” Many of these explanations are based on false premises; some already seem to have been abandoned. But in several quick phone interviews that he conducted with various news outlets over the weekend Trump offered a different vision for victory, suggesting to the Times that “the perfect scenario” would be a repeat of his recent intervention in Venezuela, where, after removing Nicolás Maduro from power, he abandoned the U.S.’s long-standing support for the democratic opposition and endorsed Maduro’s Vice-President to run the country. On Monday morning, the Pentagon leadership held its first press conference since the start of the attacks, and the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, responded to the increasingly loud concerns about what the U.S. hoped to achieve by saying that the goal of Operation Epic Fury was to “destroy” Iran’s Navy, its missiles, and its nuclear ambitions.
Author: Susan B. Glasser
Published at: 2026-03-02 23:36:41
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