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By Jenna Jordan, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology At least 14 nuclear scientists are believed to be among those killed in Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, 2025, ostensibly to destroy or degrade Iran’s nuclear program and military capabilities. Deliberately targeting scientists in this way aims to disrupt Iran’s … Continue reading “Nuclear scientists have long been targets in covert ops – Israel has brought that policy out of the shadows”
By Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth Israel’s initial attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, alongside its assassination of top military officials and nuclear scientists, on June 13 has been followed by days of escalating strikes. Iran threatened “severe punishment” and quickly launched what were, in relative … Continue reading “Israel’s air strength is giving it a free hand over Iran”
By Matthew Moran, Professor of International Security, King’s College London In the early hours of June 13, Israel launched its largest-ever attack on Iran. Airstrikes involving more than 200 aircraft targeted nuclear and missile facilities, as well as key figures in the Iranian military and nuclear programme leadership. The attack, codenamed “Operation Rising Lion”, appears … Continue reading “Israeli aggression and Iranian nuclear brinkmanship made this confrontation all but inevitable”
By Farah N. Jan, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Pennsylvania Israel’s conflict with Iran represents far more than another Middle Eastern crisis – it marks the emergence of a dangerous new chapter in nuclear rivalries that has the potential to reshape global proliferation risks for decades to come. What began with Israeli strikes … Continue reading “Iran-Israel ‘threshold war’ has rewritten nuclear escalation rules”
By Michelle Bentley, Professor of International Relations, Royal Holloway University of London Donald Trump has dismissed reports that he has approved a plan of attack against Iran, which includes a strike against its underground nuclear facility at Fordow. This will only add to the speculation and confusion about what the president might do in response … Continue reading “Trump’s unpredictable approach to Iran could seriously backfire”
By James Dwyer, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania Late last week, Israel began a wave of attacks on Iran under the banner of Operation Rising Lion, with the stated goal of crippling the Islamic republic’s nuclear program and long-range strike capabilities. At the outset, Israel claimed Iran would soon be able to … Continue reading “How does Israel’s famous air defence work? It’s not just the ‘Iron Dome’”
By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University Alarmed by an intelligence assessment that Iran will be able to produce nuclear weapons within months if not weeks, Israel has launched a massive air campaign aiming to destroy the country’s nuclear program. … Continue reading “Why did Israel defy Trump – and risk a major war – by striking Iran now? And what happens next?”
By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex Working alongside western democratic allies has not been a natural fit for Donald Trump. The US president left the recently concluded G7 summit in Canada early, with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron assuming this was to work on addressing the most severe escalation … Continue reading “Trump breaks from western allies at G7 summit as US weighs joining Iran strikes”
By Adi Imsirovic, Lecturer in Energy Systems, University of Oxford The unexpected attack by Israel on Iran, a major oil-producing nation, may undermine anaemic global economic growth and hinder central banks’ ability to cope in an already uncertain market. Iran exports up to 2 million barrels of oil and refined petroleum products per day (million … Continue reading “Why Israel-Iran tensions might not raise prices at the pump as much as feared (for now)”
By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex The Middle East is undergoing a realignment of power. With Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear sites and the assassination of at least two of Iran’s senior security officials, Benjamin Netanyahu is showing his willingness to go it alone and ignore pressure from the … Continue reading “Why Israel’s air strikes signal a shifting relationship with the US and a weakening Iran”