Strategic Assessment

Analysis of the Iranian nuclear issue demands a logical conceptual framework and a clear, transparent decision making model for the authorized decision making forum. One may point to five possible strategies to block, neutralize, or significantly delay Iranian military nuclearization: negotiations over an agreement, crippling sanctions, covert action, a military strike, and regime change. A sixth strategy, containment and deterrence, accepts a nuclear Iran. The first five strategies, designed to thwart an Iranian military nuclear program, complement and support one another. This article presents a conceptual approach that can enable Israel to navigate the various strategic options as it works to avoid either of the two extreme options: an Iranian bomb and the bombing of Iran.