The Islamabad summit ended without a breakthrough, underscoring that the nuclear issue remains at the core of the dispute between the United States and Iran. From Washington’s perspective, Iran’s clear commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and not to retain breakout capability is a fundamental precondition for any agreement. Tehran, for its part, insists on its right to continue enriching uranium and sees the US demand as an attempt to impose political capitulation under unilateral terms. In this context, President Trump’s...
Although we are currently in the midst of a war and do not yet know how it will end, the US negotiations initiative—which may bring the campaign to an end—requires a clear definition of Israel’s interest regarding the Iranian nuclear project.
The conclusion of Operation Roaring Lion will place Israel and the international community before a new strategic reality vis-à-vis Iran. The regime in Tehran, if it survives the war, may—after experiencing systemic trauma and damage to its senior leadership—adopt a national security doctrine...
Israel, since October 7, has been trapped in a conception of “absolute security” that drives it toward continuous war. If security is defined as the complete removal of every threat already in its earliest stages of emergence, and even more so when it is clear and tangible—rather than its reduction or the construction of a stabilizing political framework—then almost any other outcome of conflict will be perceived as insufficient, any arrangement as surrender, and any achievement as partial and therefore a failure.
Against this...
The developing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz positions the strait as one of the central arenas of friction in the current conflict and as a focal point of a crisis with global implications. A sustained disruption of traffic in the strait, even without a full closure, is not merely a tactical move but a broader blow to the international order. Its strategic importance and unique status expand the arena of friction beyond the direct parties to the current conflict. This means that the struggle over freedom of passage in the strait is...
Iran’s strategic communications effort in Operation Roaring Lion reflects an integrated strategy of military action, information warfare, and advanced technologies aimed at influencing domestic, regional, and international audiences. The current campaign reflects an advanced stage in the evolution of Iranian doctrine, which has shifted from religious-ideological propaganda to operational, multidimensional information warfare. This article examines Iran’s main patterns of operation, including the use of missiles and UAVs as a...
In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence into defense systems has evolved from a decision-support tool into a strategic infrastructure shaping the conduct of war. Within this trend, the Pentagon’s adoption of the AI-First doctrine marks a significant conceptual shift from the limited integration of artificial intelligence systems to a systemic approach in which AI becomes a foundational component in the chain of command, in intelligence collection and analysis, and in the planning of multi-theater operations. This...
The war with Iran has placed the Gulf states, against their will, at the heart of the confrontation. Iran identified the Gulf states as an “underbelly” and potential lever of pressure on the United States to shorten the duration of the campaign. Nevertheless, despite the Iranian attacks on their territory, they have thus far refrained from openly joining the campaign and have preferred a cautious policy: allowing other forces to operate from their territory while undertaking limited offensive actions with plausible deniability. This...
Operation Roaring Lion—the war with Iran—is being waged during a low point in Israel–Jordan relations and sharpens the importance of peace as a strategic asset for both countries. Despite the rupture between the leaders of the two countries and the tension in the Palestinian arena, military coordination between the IDF and the Jordanian Armed Forces has continued. The war has led Jordan to adopt a declared policy of “positive neutrality,” namely, intercepting Iranian missiles in its sovereign airspace on their way to Israel and...
The military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran at the end of February 2026 confronts Moscow with a new strategic reality. Iran constitutes an important partner for Russia, even if it cannot be considered an ally in the full sense of the term. This article examines how Moscow interprets the campaign, what lessons it derives from it, and what consequences Russia is likely to face as an aftermath of the war.
China’s response to the war with Iran appears to be one of non-intervention. Although one might have expected Beijing to stand more firmly by its partner Tehran, China’s response thus far has been relatively restrained. This article offers several explanations for this, including China’s domestic priorities, its desire to avoid further friction with the United States, Beijing’s balancing policy among all actors in the Middle East, and uncertainty about the future of the Iranian regime. At the same time, China is looking ahead to the...
President Trump’s statements in recent days reflect an effort to convey two parallel messages: presenting the campaign against Iran as an advancing success while, at the same time, avoiding a clear definition of its end conditions. This situation illustrates the growing tension within the administration between those pushing to continue the campaign to maximize its military achievements and economic, political, and strategic constraints pushing to shorten it. From Israel’s perspective, this is an especially sensitive stage: The...
Turkey is deeply frustrated by the outbreak of the war in Iran, which Ankara perceives as the realization of some of its worst strategic scenarios, and it is working to end the fighting as quickly as possible. The war poses challenges to Turkey, ranging from missiles being launched into its territory to fears of a significant refugee wave and a renewed flare-up of the Kurdish issue emanating from Iran. Regionally, Ankara has accused Israel of pushing the United States into going to war and is concerned about the strengthening of...
