Overview

• The US intelligence community continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that its program was suspended in 2003 without resumption
• Israel’s June 15 strike that killed a senior Iranian general prompted Tehran to launch missile attacks, escalating the confrontation
• President Trump has increased troop deployments in the Middle East and used tweets to suggest possible action against Iran’s supreme leader
• Prime Minister Netanyahu has urged a concerted campaign to eliminate what he describes as an imminent Iranian nuclear threat
• Experts warn that a military showdown risks spiraling into a protracted “forever war” with uncertain strategic objectives