Iran
Highlights:
Intelligence Implications of the Shifting Iran Strike Narrative
How the growing politicization of the U.S. intelligence community undermines the integrity of decision-making on Iran and national security more broadly.
The U.S. Attack on Iran Was Unconstitutional
Trump’s strike on Iran violated constitutional limits on the president's unilateral power to take the nation to war—an authority the Framers reserved for Congress.
What Counts as a Win?: Battle Damage Assessments and Public Messaging
The White House's future BDA briefings on the Iran strikes will likely project certainty where analysis still urges caution.
The Just Security Podcast: Is there a diplomatic path for Iran’s nuclear program? An interview with Richard Nephew
Just Security’s Tess Bridgeman is joined by Richard Nephew to discuss where things stand and what a path forward for Iran might look like.
Assessing the U.S. Article 51 Letter for the Attack on Iran: Legal Lipstick on the Use of Force Pig
Former State Department attorney analyzes U.S. letter to UN Security Council that presented legal arguments for U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Collection: Iran-Israel/United States Conflict
Experts analyze critical dimensions of Israel’s strikes relevant responses, covering nuclear diplomacy; strategic, security, and regional implications; and international law.
33 Articles
Why War? Why Now? Assessing Iranian Intentions and Capabilities
Why did Israel, and then the United States, decide to attack Iran now, even as U.S.-Iranian negotiations sputtered along?
From War to Control: How the Recent Iran-Israel Conflict Risks Deepening the Islamic Republic’s Repression
The ceasefire may stop the bombs, but it will not reverse the repression that has long defined Islamic Republic’s internal trajectory.
The Trump Administration’s Flawed War Powers Report on Iran and the Need for a Congressional Rebuttal
The White House’s legal justifications for attacking Iran are unconvincing and raise concerns about unauthorized use of force. Congress should push back.
President Trump’s Decision to Bomb Iran: From Bad to Worse
Whether newly announced ceasefire actually leads to end hostilities will not change the new reality: a comprehensive agreement is less likely now than before the bombing
The Day After U.S. Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Program: A Policy and Legal Assessment
An expert policy and legal assessment of the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and what comes next.
Indefensible: Israel’s Unlawful Attack on Iran
Part of our ongoing series on the Israel-Iran war.
Top Experts’ Backgrounder: Military Action Against Iran and US Domestic Law
Experts who advised a president on use of force answer a full range of basic questions on the conditions under which action against Iran would be lawful, and what options Congress…
Open-Source Information Provides Powerful Evidence of Gender Crimes in Iran and Beyond
Digital open source data can be ethically deployed to strengthen investigations and prosecutions on gender crimes in Iran and elsewhere.
Israel and Iran: A War with No Off-Ramp
The constellation of forces in Israel, the United States, and beyond complicates efforts to find an off-ramp to the war.
A New War or a New Stage in an Ongoing War – Observations on June 13 Israeli Attack against Iran
"Another legal framework – the ongoing armed conflict framework – is more factually and legally viable than the anticipatory or preventive self-defense frameworks."
The Strategic Stakes after Israel’s Opening Strikes on Iran
Strategic implications of Israel’s strikes on Iran and key questions policymakers should ask to navigate what comes next.
The Israeli Strike on Iran the U.S. Saw Coming, but Couldn’t Stop
The Israel-Iran crisis will be a key test for how the Trump administration handles national security crises and its ability to respond.