Finally, a perceived need to warn Iran of a potential attack could complicate a decision to use force. As a nation, we have traditionally been averse to sneak attacks against even our most unsavory foes. American history is riddled with moments of hesitation and self-restraint even during high-pressure episodes. President John F. Kennedy rejected a surprise attack during the Cuban missile crisis on the grounds that it would transgress America’s long-standing principles; Secretary of State James Baker met with Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz in 1991 to give Saddam Hussein’s regime one last chance before airstrikes commenced…

As it contemplated the use of force, the administration’s decision-making would be further complicated by the need for a plan to unwind military hostilities and make sure a confrontation did not escalate out of control. The White House would have to signal to Tehran that the U.S. military objective was not to overthrow the clerical regime but to enforce the will of the international community by disabling Iran’s nuclear program. The message would need to make clear that for the United States, hostilities would end with the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities, but that if Iran retaliated, Washington would press its attacks until Tehran could no longer respond. A sobering thought not just for the mullahs, but also for a U.S. administration that would have to carry out the threat.