Office Hours: What’s Trump’s Endgame?

Here’s what I’m hearing

Friends,

It’s not hard to start a war. It can be horribly difficult to end one. So far, the U.S. has struck more than 2,000 targets in Iran. Four U.S. service members have been killed in action and others seriously wounded. More than 550 people have been killed in Iran so far, according to the Iranian Red Crescent emergency service, and at least 31 in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry. At least 10 people have been killed in Israel and six, including civilians, across the Gulf.

What’s Trump’s endgame? What’s his goal?

I’ve been spending the last few days checking with foreign policy experts, Middle-East specialists, and a few politicians for their understandings of Trump’s endgame in Iran — his real goal, and how anyone (including him) will know he’s achieved it. I’ve grouped their responses below. Please have a look and share your views.