Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and Kuwait, Douglas Silliman, stated that a lack of clear strategy in a U.S. war against Iran could leave Washington with a series of shifting objectives. When Trump launched the conflict, he had no specific strategic goal other than overthrowing the Tehran regime. The regime did not collapse, so Trump subsequently announced "five or six" other objectives in the following weeks. Now the objective has changed again—Trump wants to "reopen the Strait of Hormuz" and "reduce or eliminate" Iran's nuclear program "through negotiations." Whether these changes constitute "more precise objectives" or "lower standards" depends on the perspective. If you are a Republican in the White House, then the objectives are more precise. If you are a critical analyst observing from the outside, then it's a case of not knowing what you wanted to do in the first place, and then constantly lowering standards in an attempt to extricate yourself.
