If the national audience expected some breathtaking new developments or a strategic vision from President Trump’s belated justification for his war of choice on Iran, it should be disappointed after his speech. He said that the Iranian navy and air force had been all but erased and its missile capability had been degraded through U.S. and Israeli pummeling. He may be correct, but as the United States found out in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq conflicts, tactical military victories don’t ensure that any war will be won. Wars are fought for political ends. Let’s briefly assess whether the United States has achieved the stated, but ever-changing goals, originally enunciated by the Trump administration and also evaluate the positive and negative effects of the war to date.

1. Use military power to topple the Iranian regime. The U.S. has killed many top Iranian leaders, but in the desperation of war, more radical and ruthless leaders often rise to the........

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