If it Comes to Force: A Credible Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Military Option against Iran | INSS
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Strategic Assessment

Home Strategic Assessment If it Comes to Force: A Credible Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Military Option against Iran

If it Comes to Force: A Credible Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Military Option against Iran

Research Forum | April 2013
Amos Yadlin
Avner Golov
Emily B. Landau

A study published in 2012 by the Iran Project seeks to create the basis for an informed discussion regarding the option of a military strike against Iran. However, the tenor of the report, its structure, and its analytical lapses stress in the main the risks of the military option to American interests. This article agrees that a military attack on Iran must be the last option in an attempt to prevent Iran from going nuclear. A resolution through negotiations is the preferred solution. Nevertheless, there are several major flaws in the report – in how the subject is presented, the analysis, and consequently the conclusions. This article addresses these lapses and presents a more balanced assessment of the issue.


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  • Research

    • Topics
      • Israel and the Global Powers
      • Israel-United States Relations
      • Glazer Israel-China Policy Center
      • Russia
      • Europe
      • Iran and the Shi'ite Axis
      • Iran
      • The Israel–Iran War
      • Lebanon and Hezbollah
      • Syria
      • Yemen and the Houthi Movement
      • Iraq and the Iraqi Shiite Militias
      • Conflict to Agreements
      • Israeli-Palestinian Relations
      • Hamas and the Gaza Strip
      • Peace Agreements and Normalization in the Middle East
      • Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States
      • Turkey
      • Egypt
      • Jordan
      • Israel’s National Security Policy
      • Military and Strategic Affairs
      • Societal Resilience and the Israeli Society
      • Jewish-Arab Relations in Israel
      • Climate, Infrastructure and Energy
      • Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict
      • Cross-Arena Research
      • Data Analytics Center
      • Law and National Security
      • Advanced Technologies and National Security
      • Cognitive Warfare
      • Economics and National Security
    • Projects
      • Preventing the Slide into a One-State Reality
      • Contemporary Antisemitism in the United States
      • Perceptions about Jews and Israel in the Arab-Muslim World and Their Impact on the West
  • Publications

    • All Publications
    • INSS Insight
    • Policy Papers
    • Special Publication
    • Strategic Assessment
    • Technology Platform
    • Memoranda
    • Database
    • Posts
    • Books
    • Archive
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    • History
    • Research Disciplines
    • Board of Directors
    • Fellowship and Prizes
    • Internships
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    • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
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