I have no problem with how the war with Iran has ended. Sure, I would have liked to see the Islamic Republic toppled, but living in the real-world means accepting outcomes that are far from perfect and this is one of them. It is not our job as a nation to right every wrong in the world.
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About a year ago, I wrote the following :
The question then becomes what constitutes vital American interests and what limits should we impose upon ourselves in protecting those interests so that we don’t end up with the impossible task of remaking a world that we have little interest in or control over.
This question is very pertinent to current American decision-making regarding Iran. In short, what is the American self-interest in Iran? And secondly, what is the degree to which the U.S. should go to achieve its goals?
Let’s tackle the first question, “What is the American self-interest in Iran?” The two primary interests are: a) to thwart Iran’s ambition to attain a nuclear weapon, and b) to stop Iran from instigating directly or indirectly violence against U.S. troops, Israel, and Gulf allies. Both are straightforward goals and limited in scope. We are not writing a blank check to the world, as John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address proposed when he stated,
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
Instead, we are following the advice of John Quincy Adams, then Secretary of State, in an Independence Day address on July 4, 1821, when he said:
Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.
The second question, “What is the degree to which the U.S. should go to achieve its goals?” The Trump administration has applied military force, limited in scope; to achieve its goals. I believe with the current settlement, they have achieved them. Others may disagree, but we remain in a position that if we don’t like the outcome, we can punish Iran further until we get an outcome that aligns with our self- interest.
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Image generated by ChatGPT.