We crossed the Rubicon with Iran, so we cant stop halfway

America has crossed the Rubicon with Iran.There is no going back to the world that existed before this war, no matter how much we might wish otherwise.

We have attacked Iran’s military infrastructure, inflicted enormous damage on its economy and demonstrated that the United States is prepared to use overwhelming force.Now, at precisely the moment when we have gained the upper hand, Washington seems increasingly preoccupied with how quickly we can declare victory, bring down gasoline prices and move on.That would be a terrible mistake.The question is whether America is about to squander the military advantage it has gained over Iran.

The answer depends on whether we understand the difference between stopping a war and achieving the objectives for which we fought it.FINISH THE JOB: WHY A HALF WAR WITH IRAN IS THE MOST DANGEROUS OUTCOMEWe need to be clear about the regime we are dealing with.The Islamic Republic is not simply another country with which we have disagreements over trade, borders or diplomatic recognition.

Since 1979, hostility toward America and Israel has been woven into the regime’s revolutionary ideology.That is not a judgment about the Iranian people, many of whom want nothing more than a normal life.

It is a judgment about the government that has ruled them for nearly half a century.Look at the history.In 1979, Iranian revolutionaries seized our embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

In 1983, Hezbollah, which Iran helped create and arm, carried out the Beirut Marine barracks bombing that killed 241 American servicemen.In 1994, the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires killed 85 people; an Argentine court subsequently held Iran responsible and concluded that Hezbollah carried out the attack.

In 2011, American authorities uncovered an Iranian-linked plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in a Washington restaurant, potentially killing innocent Americans.We do not need to occupy the country, install a new ...