President Trump: Forget the midterms—get the job done in Iran.

Sabed Sathi
Vice President JD Vance and Iran both want Americans to blame the war and Israel for the Republicans' crushing defeat in the midterm elections. President Trump, however, does not share this view. He should rise above this clamor and refocus on U.S. national interests by fulfilling his repeated pledge to "finish the job" regarding Iran.

When announcing "Operation Epic Fury" on February 28, Trump outlined five primary U.S. objectives: destroying Iran’s missiles, eliminating its navy, ensuring that regime-backed terrorist groups can no longer destabilize the region or the world, preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and paving the way for a prosperous and glorious future for the Iranian people.

Over time, these initial objectives have been scaled back. Almost immediately, the first directive to fade into the background was Trump’s call to the Iranian people: "Take control of your own government." By April, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane had stopped mentioning the need for Iran to cease its support for terrorism.

Trump also retreated from the goal of neutralizing the threat posed by Iran’s long-range strike capabilities, including its missiles; in June, he remarked, "Missiles are not the problem." More recently, Vance has abandoned the demand to halt Iran’s nuclear program, suggesting instead a reduction in uranium enrichment to a "meaningful" level.

Of the original U.S. war objectives, only the elimination of Iran’s navy remains—a task that has, in fact, already been accomplished and is largely inconsequential when considering the broader threat posed by Iran.

Operation Epic Fury has achieved some notable successes. While it is an exaggeration for Trump to claim that Iran has been "systematically destroyed—both militarily and financially," it is fair to say that the country has been severely damaged. Iran’s nuclear program and defense industry infrastructure remain in ruins. Oil exports—the lifeblood of its economy—have been largely stifled. An entire tier of both military and civilian leadership has been eliminated.

Yet, this is not enough.

Following the 12-day conflict last year, Iran rebuilt its conventional military capabilities much faster than anticipated. It could do so again. Even though much of Iran’s 60-percent enriched uranium lies buried underground—following strikes by U.S. B-2 bombers—the country could still potentially access it. According to media reports, the U.S. and Israel had considered plans to recover this uranium using ground forces, but Trump ultimately decided against it. The ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ facility—considered particularly dangerous due to its deep underground location—was not targeted in either last year’s conflict or the fighting this year.

Rather than risking being drawn into another conflict with a re-armed Iran, the U.S. and Israel could—in Trump’s words—‘finish the job,’ and indeed, they should. To achieve this, they must revisit and fulfill the five core objectives: launching a swift, intense new round of strikes against Iran’s remaining missile and drone facilities, coastal radar sites, weapons batteries, small-vessel naval bases, and air defense systems.

Such an operation should also aim to neutralize Iran’s nuclear facilities—including the Pickaxe Mountain site—and eliminate its 60-percent enriched uranium stockpile. Ground operations should be undertaken if necessary. To further weaken the regime’s grip on power, U.S. strikes should also target parts of Iran’s domestic energy infrastructure. Simultaneously, a clear message must be sent: any retaliatory strike by Iran will be met with further, similar attacks.

Such an operation carries risks. U.S. forces, as well as the territories of our Israeli and Arab allies, would be exposed to Iranian retaliation. Furthermore, energy prices could rise, at least in the short term. However, the alternative—leaving the Iranian threat intact—is far riskier and more costly.

Yet, Iran’s missiles, drones, proxy armed groups, naval forces, and nuclear ambitions are not the primary threat. Even if these were completely destroyed, Iran would simply attempt to rebuild them or seek new avenues for aggression. The core threat lies in the Iranian regime itself and its steadfast determination to destroy the United States, Israel, and the Western world at any cost. Consequently, a single round of strikes will not suffice. The United States must remain vigilant, keep a close watch on Iran, and be prepared to strike again, if necessary, to prevent the regime from reconstituting its military capabilities.

The conflict will only truly end if the objective that Trump once removed from his list is restored: the collapse of Tehran’s radical and brutal regime. No agreements should be made with Iran, as they would only serve to sustain the regime. A U.S.-led military containment strategy is essential to further weaken the regime and hasten its downfall.

Furthermore, additional measures are required: encouraging defections from within the regime, fostering distrust and discord among its various factions, and strengthening opposition forces inside Iran. The necessary support—ranging from public endorsements to the covert provision of arms—must be extended to enable the Iranian people to overcome the regime’s violent enforcers and consign the Islamic Republic to the dustbin of history.

While the midterm elections have altered the political landscape in Washington, the geopolitical chessboard of the Middle East remains unchanged. The Iranian threat...