Strategic Assessment

While international attention seems to be pointed elsewhere, Iran has proceeded relentlessly with its nuclear project. Since the world is divided on the ways of preventing Iran from becoming a full-fledged nuclear state, and since the current Unites States administration is reluctant to take any overt action other than sanctions, prevention of this situation hinges on the political decisions of the Iranian regime. Most likely in the short range, the Iranian regime will assume a posture of ambiguity, while slowly increasing the visibility of its potential for acquiring a military nuclear capability. This essay describes Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and reviews the various Iranian options and their ramifications, the active and passive ways of dealing with these capabilities, and the implications of a nuclear Iran for Israel.