Mission accomplished?

任务完成了吗?

Today, Explained

2026-04-08

26 分钟
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The US war in Iran is reminding people, uncomfortably, of the US war in Iraq — a conflict that raged on for years after leaders declared victory. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by Patrick Boyd and David Tatasciore, and hosted by Noel King. President George W. Bush addressing troops at MacDill Air Force Base in 2003. Photo by Chris Livingston/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  • There are things we know we know.

  • We also know there are known unknowns.

  • That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know.

  • But there are also unknown unknowns.

  • The ones we don't know we don't know.

  • During the war in Iraq, America's leaders sometimes sounded uniquely stupid.

  • I'm confident that our troops will be successful, and I think it will go relatively quickly.

  • But you can't count on that.

  • Weeks rather than months.

  • It was eight years.

  • It's tempting when he talks about Iran to see that kind of stupidity and short-sightedness in President Trump.

  • But what he threatened today is something else.

  • A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

  • People have been comparing Trump's war in Iran to the war in Iraq.

  • Is that legit?

  • Today on Today Explained.

  • Fool me once.

  • Shame on you.

  • Fool me.

  • We can't get fooled again.