The risks and rewards of war in the Middle East.

The U.S. and Israel unleashed the region's largest conflict in one in two decades.

President Trump indicates it could last four to five weeks or, quote, forever.

And as the war expands, anxious Arab allies need American protection that the U.S. could struggle to provide.

How long will the U.S. sustain the war the war? And what is President Trump's end game?

Coming up on Compass Points.

Hello and welcome to Compass Points. It has been more than 20 years since the United States launched this large military operation

in the Middle East, and that buildup fueled nearly 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today it's a war alongside Israel on Iran.

The Pentagon says it is not Iraq.

It is not endless.

And the specific military goals are to destroy Iran's missile and military infrastructure and

the Navy.

But U.S. and Israeli officials also envision changing the Islamic Republic's regime.

And it is the second time just this year.

The U.S. has helped remove the head of a country's

government. Here tonight to help us understand how we got here, what's at stake, and what's to come,

are Farras Maksad, the managing director for Middle East and North Africa at the Eurasia Group.

Danielle Pletka, a distinguished senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Ambassador Wendy Sherman, former Deputy Secretary of State,

and Ray Take, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Thank you all very much. Such a pleasure to have you here.

Let me start with just the big question.

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