'Does anyone know what Trump's achievable end goals are with Iran, including the President himself?' asks Peter Bergen, writing for CNNOpinion
Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a vice president at New America and a professor of practice at Arizona State University. He is completing a book about President Trump's national security team and policies. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion articles at CNN.
The leaders of Iran have reason to be confused about what President Trump's goals are when it comes to their country. Trump pulled the United States out of the Iranian nuclear deal last year and then imposed draconian new sanctions on Iran. In June, Trump ordered military strikes against Iran and then called them off at the last minute. Trump has also said he would sit down with the Iranian leadership without preconditions, but now he appears to have reversed himself.
Trump's posturing back and forth between aggression and conciliation might work for a real estate deal in Manhattan, but it's quite confusing and the stakes are also much higher when you are dealing with the complex calculations of a major regional power such as Iran, which has long regarded the United States as a foe.Forget about the Iranians -- Trump's shifting positions on Iran seem to be confusing even for members of his own cabinet.
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