Would strikes stop Iran’s nuclear program? Two decades of the debate, from Osirak’s lessons to the strikes of 2025.
Twenty four years ago today, Israel attacked Iraq’s Tammuz-1 (Osirak) nuclear reactor. Although popular myth holds the raid a success, the Duelfer Report hints at a more complicated reality: The Israeli destruction of the Tammuz 1 (Osirak) research reactor on…
Seymour Hersh is at it again. With lots of discussion about possible US military options against Iraq (read Joe Cirincione in Foreign Policy and the Washington Post today), Hersh has found a way to stand out. Suggest the US will…
I’ve never asked, but am willing to bet that the good folks at The Bulletin get a fair bit of grief over the Doomsday Clock. Seeing as we’ve been at five minutes to midnight since 2007 (the typical snide question…
By no means do I wish to pick on Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, who was only repeating a common misconception in an NPR segment this evening when she said: On June 7, 1981, Israel launched the first confirmed military strike ever against…
This morning’s Washington Post features an op-ed on Iran policy by former U.S. Senator Charles (Chuck) Robb and retired U.S. Air Force general Charles (Chuck) Wald. It’s a serious, earnest statement, but also seriously flawed. The gist of what The…
After reading Jeffrey Goldberg’s lengthy article in The Atlantic about Israeli calculations on whether to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, I’m left with an observation and a judgment. First, the observation. We’re being ushered into an unusual conversation here. Months before…
An observer, who wishes to remain nameless, sends along this dispatch on the recent drumbeat to war with Iran: For some reason, everyone and his cousin are suddenly seized on the idea that there must be an urgent need to…
A friend and colleague who prefers to remain anonymous has asked me to post the following. For reasons you can probably guess, I haven’t had time to take a hard look at the numbers. By now everyone already knows about…
UN Photo/J Carrier Note from Jeffrey: I’m still on blog sabbatical in baby-land. Here’s another anonymous guest post. Let’s be fair. It’s hard to simplify what’s not so simple. And it’s harder still to get your point across if few…
Jeffrey and I recently had a story with Aaron Mehta in Breaking Defense on Iran’s air defenses around Natanz: Aaron Mehta, “Iran’s air defenses around nuclear site more ‘brittle’ than expected: Exclusive analysis,” Breaking Defense, May 15, 2025, https://breakingdefense.com/2025/05/irans-air-defenses-around-nuclear-site-more-brittle-than-expected-exclusive-analysis/ Since…
Aaron and Jeffrey sat down to discuss the latest new from Iran, where Israel has been launching strike on leadership, nuclear, and missile targets. Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!
This guest post is by Dr. James M. Acton Central to the Trump administration’s case for the effectiveness of its air strikes on Iran is the destruction of a “conversion” facility at Isfahan with equipment for producing uranium metal. Secretary…
Aaron and Jeffrey finally deconflict their schedules to talk about the outcome of the Israeli-Iranian war, Iran’s pathway back to the bomb, and why they’re both irritated with the “fix it or nix it crowd.” Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!
