Why The U.S.-Iran History Just Hit A Violent New Chapter

Reaction from around the world pours in as the U.S. and Israel strike targets in Iran. Thousands of flights have been canceled across the Middle East and beyond as rattled markets react to higher oil prices. On Tuesday, President Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled a unified front against the regime during a meeting in the Oval Office. Amid reports that the strikes were a preemptive move to neutralize a rapidly advancing Iranian nuclear program, the President acknowledged the risk of future instability while expressing hope for a domestic military stand-down. Alex Gray, former Chief of Staff to the National Security Council, breaks down what he believes led up to this weekend’s strike, the “downstream effects” of this escalation, and what it means for other global flashpoints like Ukraine and the South China Sea.
Multiple direct military strikes by the U.S. and Israel have killed Iran’s top leadership, escalating decades of proxy tensions into a high-stakes, open confrontation. Senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute Tevi Troy joins to discuss how the relationship devolved from a century-old alliance and celebratory parades into a modern struggle against a radical regime.

Plus, commentary by Ruthless podcast co-host Michael Duncan.

AP Photo Credit: Vahid Salemi