Trump’s potential military action against Iran carries significant dangers

The initial two-week deadline provided by Donald Trump for Iran turned out to be two days. On Thursday, Trump warned Iran that they needed to avoid a US strike on their nuclear facilities, but the deadline ended up being shorter than expected. Two days later, on Saturday evening, Trump announced that US warplanes had attacked three nuclear sites, claiming the strike was “very successful.” The question has arisen whether the two-week deadline for negotiations was a feint or if negotiations led by Trump’s peace negotiator, Steve Witkoff, fell through. In the immediate aftermath of the strikes, little information is known, but Trump had stated on social media that this is now the time for peace. However, Iran had previously warned of reprisals if the US joined Israel in attacking their territory. Iran still has weapons available to retaliate, which could quickly escalate the situation. Iran must decide how they will respond to attacks on three of their sites, including Fordo, a crucial nuclear site. It is unlikely that the attacks will encourage Iran to give in to greater concessions in negotiations. It is also unclear whether the US attack actually accomplished their goal of destroying the Iranian nuclear facilities. If they did not, then the pressure to strike again will grow. The attacks could cause political problems for Trump internationally and domestically, as even his supporters denounced the idea of an attack on Iran. The attack was an aggressive move from a president who had promised to avoid starting new wars during his term. The aftermath of the attack will not be entirely within Trump’s control.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg86pd63j8o