Ongoing calls for U.S. intervention in Iran reflect the triumph of hope over history. With the Trump administration reportedly still weighing an attack on the Iranian regime, now is the moment to ask what the goals of an intervention would be, whether they are achievable, and what risks they carry. Unfortunately, a look back at recent U.S. interventions in the Middle East, including several that I was personally involved in as a diplomat, suggest that the answers to these questions are not