‘No clear goal’: lack of Iran war plan has unleashed chaos and could stymie US military for decades, say critics
White House contends with reality of shoddy preparations for war and unclear conditions for victory
The aim of the US mission has shifted repeatedly since January’s naval buildup – from backing Iranian protesters being killed in a government crackdown, to eliminating Iran’s nuclear programme, to knocking out its ballistic missiles system.
And the first six days of the war alone cost the US $11.3bn, the Pentagon briefed members of Congress – though it wasn’t clear if those numbers included the cost of the buildup or the US missile defenses as well. The ultimate toll of Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz on the world economy remains to be seen.
Tens of thousands of US citizens were stranded in the region as the state department hurriedly slapped together a taskforce to evacuate them.
LACEY WYANT