Bangladesh, July 17 -- The United States has repeatedly struggled to avoid prolonged military entanglements, yet history shows how easily limited interventions can evolve into open-ended conflicts. From Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq, wars that began with narrowly defined objectives gradually expanded into missions with no clear endpoint. The growing confrontation between the United States and Iran has revived concerns that Washington could once again be heading down the same path.

The initial rationale behind US military action against Iran was straightforward: prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. For many policymakers across the political spectrum, ensuring that Iran does not become a nuclear-armed state has long been consi...