WHY IS THERE AN IRAN WAR? The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is now in its 11th week. During that time, President Donald Trump and top administration officials have given varying reasons for it. Last week, for example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that “Operation Epic Fury,” the initial attack that began on Feb. 28, had ended, and the United States had moved on to an effort to rescue the roughly 23,000 crew members on ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz. That plan, dubbed “Project Freedom,” did not last long but might return at any moment.
Now, Trump appears to be getting back to basics. Why did the U.S. go to war in Iran in the first place? The reason is one that Trump has said many times in the past: Iran must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. That’s it. Everything else is an add-on.
Trump said some variation of that a number of times at the White House on Tuesday before he left to begin his trip to China. Some examples:
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. They will not have a nuclear weapon … They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.”
“The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon … We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, that’s all.”
“It’s a very simple message. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t have a nuclear weapon … Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”
Most of the ancillary issues, such as Iran’s navy, missiles, and proxies, were off to the side. Instead, Trump made a simple case: The U.S. is fighting to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
Starting with that fundamental reason, Trump then conceded that the war has raised energy prices, and with them the prices of almost everything else. But he argued that the trade-off was worth it. “If you go back to just before the war, for the last three months inflation was at 1.7%,” Trump said. “Now, we had a choice. Let these lunatics have a nuclear weapon. If you want to do that, then you’re a stupid person.”
Trump even referred to “our inflation” as a way to contrast the war-driven inflation of today with former President Joe Biden’s inflation of the past. “Our inflation is just short-term,” Trump said. “As soon as this war is over, you’re going to see inflation go down to probably 1.5%.”
Now, some Americans, perhaps many Americans, might not agree with Trump’s reasoning. Maybe they don’t think the benefits of achieving the Iran goal are worth higher prices here at home. But at least Trump made things clear.
And by making things clear, Trump also raised questions about the war so far: What does it mean to make sure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon? Does that mean the current war should ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon? Or should it ensure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon for a period of time — say, five or 10 years — at which point the U.S. or other nations might have to take action again to prevent Iran from realizing its goal?
Trump favors the former. “I could leave right now, and it would take them 25 years to rebuild their country,” he said Tuesday. “But I don’t want to do that. I want to have it complete and total.”
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Again, some, perhaps many, might not agree with Trump’s position. Why not knock out Iran’s nuclear capability for some number of years and then, while always carefully monitoring, end the war and see what happens? If the Iranians go back to nuclear weapons development, they can be hit again. But perhaps at some point, someday, they will stop.
In any event, Trump again offered some much-needed clarity on Tuesday. He also raised the question of why the war, such as it is right now, is still going on in its 11th week.