U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have sharply escalated tensions in the Middle East, raising fears of a wider regional conflict and fresh questions about the legal and strategic case for military action.
Israel described the Feb. 28 war attack as “pre-emptive,” saying it was meant to remove threats tied to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The White House said President Donald Trump authorized the operation to eliminate what it called an “imminent nuclear threat,” destroy missile capabilities, and weaken Iran’s proxy networks.
Supporters of the strikes argue Iran’s expanding uranium stockpile, missile arsenal, and support for armed groups across the region created an unacceptable danger to Israel, U.S. troops, and allied interests. U.S. and Israeli officials have also pointed to Tehran’s past attacks and repeated warnings that Iran’s military posture could destabilize the region further.
But the administration’s public claim that Iran posed an immediate threat to the United States is already under dispute.
The Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings that U.S. intelligence did not indicate Iran was preparing a preemptive strike on the United States. Instead, officials described a broader regional threat from Iranian missiles and proxy forces.
That account contrasts with Trump’s public statement that the operation was launched to eliminate “imminent threats.”
That leaves the central argument in support of the war in contradiction to the facts. The strikes may have been aimed at degrading a long-term threat, but evidence publicly available so far does not clearly establish that Iran posed an imminent, direct threat to the U.S. at the moment of attack.
Guest:
Brent Sasley is associate professor of political science at the University of Texas at Arlington.
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This episode was recorded on Monday, March 2, 2026, at noon.
