From the very git-go, and certainly after a few days of Israel’s attack on Iran’s military and nuclear leaders and infrastructure, it was fully obvious and well-known that no “deal” could resolve the Iran nuke problem. Given what we have come to understand about Donald Trump’s modus operandi, he probably knew this also.

But despite the irrelevance of a “deal,” there was widespread and abundant confidence in Trump’s ability to get the job done, and this was confirmed by the Day Three announcement that the IDF had achieved air superiority over Iran.

Now, however, it’s being reported that satellite photos portray the damage done by the IDF bombing as inadequate to eliminate the Iranian nuke problem. Iran is capable of recovering from the damage Israel has inflicted so far.

Image created using Freepik AI.

If this assessment is true, that would mean that the IDF air war will have failed to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Instead, it will only have delayed them.

This state of affairs has created a rush of anxiety, as Van Jones scolds his fellow Democrats for failing to take the Iran nuke threat seriously, some point out that the actual whereabouts of Iran’s near-bomb-grade uranium is unknown, and uncertainty reigns regarding just how close Iran actually is to having the bomb.

As President Trump wrestles with the decision whether to launch the US “bunker buster” against the Fordow mountain underground facility, analysts are asking whether it will suffice and what to do if it does not suffice. Not to be overlooked is Ted Noel’s suggestion of turning Fordow into a tomb without using the bunker buster.

Returning to basics, the fundamental question to be resolved is whether the purpose of this war is to (1) set back the Iranian nuke quest for a time, whether months or years, or (2) to eliminate it permanently.

If #1 is the goal, it has already been achieved. If #2 is the goal, to render the world permanently safe from Iranian nukes, that result can be achieved only by the combination of unconditional surrender, boots on the ground occupation, regime change, and boots on the ground continuing surveillance for the foreseeable future.

There remains, of course, one more option, which is if the Iranian people and their regular military (not the IRGC) use this opportunity to overthrow the hated theocratic regime and create a functioning republic. With the mullahs’ apocalyptic vision off the table, everyone assumes a new Iranian republic would work with Israel and America to destroy the rest of Iran’s nuclear production facilities.

The fundamental policy question that must be answered by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu is, “What exactly is the purpose of the present military exercise?”