Pakistan, July 19 -- The United States' confrontation with Iran has entered a dangerous and increasingly incoherent phase as after months of military action, diplomacy, renewed bombing and contradictory declarations from Washington, the central question remains unanswered: What, precisely, does the United States seek to achieve?

President Donald Trump had already warned that Iran would be hit hard. Yet, almost in the same breath, he indicated that he did not expect the wider war to restart, that any further action would end quickly and that negotiations involving Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could continue. These are not merely variations in tone. They represent fundamentally different strategic paths: renewed diplomacy, limited punit...