The Case for Striking Iran

President Trump appears poised to order strikes on Iran — indeed, by the time you read this column, he may already have done so — while barely bothering to spell out his reasons. The lack of explanation is a serious moral and political mistake: At the very least, Americans deserve to know what they’re getting into, why, for how long and for what result.

But it doesn’t mean there isn’t a compelling case for action. Three, in fact.

Iran poses a threat to global order by way of its damaged but abiding nuclear ambitions, its deep strategic ties to Moscow and Beijing, its persistent threats to maritime commerce and its support for international terrorism.

It poses a threat to regional stability, not just through its support for anti-Israel proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, but also by its meddling in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and (until the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime) Syria.

And it’s a mortal threat to the life and safety of its own people, many thousands of whom it slaughtered last month. There was a time not long ago when Americans, both left and right, cared enough about human rights to believe it could, in some circumstances, justify military intervention.

Why is a military attack crucial? Look at what hasn’t worked to change the regime’s behavior.

Economic engagement hasn’t: Europeans have long sought close commercial ties with Iran, only to have Tehran repay the favor by routinely taking European citizens hostage or carrying out assassinations and terrorist attacks on European soil.

Economic sanctions haven’t: The regime has been under some form of sanction since its earliest months. But while sanctions damage economies, they have little effect on despotic rulers who are indifferent to the well-being of their own people and who can always find ways to enrich themselves through sanctions busting, bribery, cybercrime, drug dealing and other black-market transactions.

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Bret Stephens is an Opinion columnist for The Times, writing about foreign policy, domestic politics and cultural issues. Facebook

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