Best of the Spectator Americano: why Iran marks the end of neoconservatism
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Mar 9, 2026 Daniel McCarthy, Spectator World columnist and Heritage Foundation fellow, offers a concise foreign policy perspective. He argues Trump's Iran campaign could mark the end of neoconservative era. They discuss risks of escalation, missile and nuclear stakes, Israel's influence, MAGA coalition strains, and how a decisive strike might reshape US commitments in the Middle East.
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Trump Sees A OneShot Iran Solution
- Donald Trump frames the Iran intervention as potentially the last major Middle East war by aiming for decisive, limited strikes rather than prolonged occupations.
- Trump wants short, high-intensity campaigns to break Iranian capabilities and return US focus to the Western Hemisphere, unlike neocon democratization aims.
Missiles Not Regime Change Are The Primary Target
- US goal is not necessarily regime change but to neuter Iran's missile and nuclear capabilities so it cannot coerce the region.
- McCarthy stresses missiles are Iran's main deterrent and removing them would leave Iran vulnerable to further pressure.
Oil Prices Limit War Duration
- Economic pressure via oil disruptions and rising fuel prices is a ticking clock shaping US strategy and public tolerance for the war.
- If shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is threatened, global fuel spikes will quickly reduce domestic support and political leeway.