President Donald Trump said Friday that he is considering limited military strikes to pressure Iran over its nuclear program, as the U.S. has undertaken the largest military buildup in the Middle East since the Iraq War in 2003. According to CNN, the military options range from limited strikes to a more sustained bombing campaign to try to oust the regime. Many of these options would be on a much larger scale than the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities last June, which Trump claimed had “completely and totally obliterated” the country’s nuclear program. Israel, which views Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat, might take part in an attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections this fall, traveled to the White House on short notice last week and met with Trump.
I spoke to Jo-Ann Mort, who is the author of the newsletter, A Precise Chaos. She is a journalist with deep experience in Israel, Palestine and the Middle East who often writes for The New Republic, Prospect Magazine, and The Guardian. She is also the author of a book of poetry, also called “A Precise Chaos.” We talked about Trump’s threats to Iran, the possible Israeli role in an attack, as well as her recent reporting trip in Israel and the West Bank.
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