Welcome to The Logoff: Today I’m focusing on President Donald Trump’s decision to launch strikes on Iran — and what that might mean for America’s chances of avoiding another long war in the Middle East.
What happened this weekend? Trump ordered an attack on Saturday night, using heavy bombs to strike three nuclear facilities in an effort to eliminate Iran’s ability to make a nuclear weapon. Trump’s strikes entered the US into a military conflict, joining Israel in its ongoing bombardment.
What happened today? Iran’s government launched missiles at a US military facility in Qatar, though they warned the US coalition that the attack was coming. No casualties have been reported. This suggests the attack was largely symbolic — meant to show the Iranian public that the regime is responding to the US attack — rather than a full-on counterstrike against the US.
What happens now? The situation is highly fluid, and we don’t know what comes next, but there’s at least some hope for deescalation: After Iran’s muted response, Trump suggested he would encourage Israel and Iran to pursue peace talks.
So did Trump’s strikes work? They have set back Iran’s nuclear development, but that doesn’t mean the program is destroyed. Peace is still possible. But it’s also possible Iran will continue pursuing a nuclear weapon with renewed secrecy, setting up a scenario in which Iran is desperate to build a bomb while the US and Israel go to greater and greater lengths to stop it. If the world is to escape that dangerous situation, it’ll require good-faith negotiation from both sides.
