The reason for war, he said, is to eliminate “imminent threats” from the Iranian regime—threats that “directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.” (Let’s call this Rationale No. 1: the imminent threat.) Also, he said, the objective is to ensure that the regime “can never have a nuclear weapon.” (Rationale No. 2: no nukes.) Also, he added, the objective is to “ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world.” (Rationale No. 3: halt the militias.) These goals are not incompatible, of course, and all involve degrading Iran’s ability to project force beyond its borders.