The Absurd Maximalism of U.S. Iran Policy

The new Trump administration is repeating the same mistakes that they made with North Korea in the first term.

Michael Waltz, Trump’s National Security Advisor, confirmed that the administration’s goal for its Iran policy is wildly unrealistic:

Well, what the president has completely – has repeatedly said is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. All options are on the table to ensure it does not have one. And that’s all aspects of Iran's program. That’s the missiles, the weaponization, the enrichment [bold mine-DL]. They can either hand it over and give it up in a way that is verifiable, or they can face a whole series of other consequences.

The new Trump administration is repeating the same mistakes that they made with North Korea in the first term. They are also making armed conflict more likely with their maximalist demands. Waltz is talking about forcing Iran to make much bigger concessions than it did a decade ago, and he is threatening Iran with possible military action if it doesn’t capitulate. It practically amounts to an ultimatum for surrender. It goes without saying that this isn’t what the administration would be doing if it wanted a peaceful resolution.