The Trump Precedent

It is prudent to acknowledge that this is a dangerous geopolitical moment. Today, Israel is pummeling Iran’s regime targets — laying waste to the hated symbols of terror like the Basij police and the gates of the notorious Evin prison. It continues to degrade Iran’s nuclear program, which, following U.S. strikes, is likely to have been seriously impaired. The Iranian regime will seek ways to strike back and save face without triggering an existential conflict with America. But calibrating that kind of response is a tricky game, and the risk of lashing out in ways that compel the U.S. to respond is high. The world, right now, is on a knife’s edge.