War on Iran: 'Fought on faulty assumptions, notion of externally delivered regime change delusional'

Barbara Slavin, a Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, argues that U.S. military actions against Iran are based on flawed assumptions and reflect a pattern where rhetoric has overridden strategic analysis. According to Slavin, diplomatic alternatives were dismissed and intelligence warnings were inadequately considered before military operations were launched. She contends that these military actions have strengthened hardline factions within the Iranian regime, destabilized the global economy, and cannot achieve the stated goal of regime change. Slavin's critique suggests that external military force is unlikely to produce lasting stability in Iran or serve U.S. strategic interests. The assessment challenges the foundational logic behind the military campaign and suggests a fundamental misalignment between stated objectives and available policy tools.