She went, she saw and she spoke often, but not always well. So as Hillary Clinton returns home, the secretary of state needs to clear up the muddle about our policy toward Iran.

More to the unfortunate point, her choice of words in Thailand caused doubts about whether the United States even has a policy toward Iran. If we don't, we better get one.

If we do, someone should explain it. Maybe Clinton, or maybe her boss, President Obama, will spell it out.

The key question is this: Are we determined to stop the mad mullahs from getting nukes, as the White House insisted? Or have we resigned ourselves to a nuclear-armed Iran, as Clinton suggested, then quickly denied?

The future of the world might depend on the answer. And please, make it fast. Iran's centrifuges for enriching uranium are spinning as we dither.

To read Mr. Goodwin's complete column, click here.