The United States, together with Israel, has once again stepped into a war in the Middle East without a clear objective, without a coherent strategy, and without any realistic understanding of how it will end. The decision to attack Iran appears driven less by security necessity than by domestic political calculations and the desire to reshape the regional balance of power.

What began with dramatic airstrikes and triumphant rhetoric is quickly turning into a prolonged confrontation with no achievable victory. The consequences are already extending far beyond West Asia, accelerating the erosion of international law and order.

Israel’s role in shaping the conflict also deserves careful attention. For decades, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has argued that Iran represents an existential threat that must be neutralised. Netanyahu therefore has strong incentives to push for sustained military pressure on Tehran.

Yet the strategic burden of a prolonged war will fall primarily on the United States. As Washington becomes more deeply entangled, Israel can gradually reduce its exposure while American forces absorb most of the diplomatic, military and economic costs.

The most striking feature of this conflict is the absence of a consistent rationale. Washington’s stated objectives have shifted repeatedly. At first, the goal was to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Soon after, it expanded to eliminating ballistic missile programmes.

The mission was then described as dismantling Iran’s regional proxy networks. At other moments, the language suggested a regime change in Tehran. The shifts in the stated purpose of waging war on Iran reflect the reality that the war was launched without a clearly defined political purpose.

Even the explanations offered by senior American officials have exposed this confusion. At one point, US secretary of state Marco Rubio suggested that Washington acted because Israel was preparing to launch its own attack and the US wanted to strike first to prevent Iranian retaliation against American........

© National Herald