In the News

"The conditions that typically produce short wars—a decisive military advantage, an adversary willing to negotiate, and a clear political end game—are conspicuously absent in this conflict," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast and Pegah Banihashemi write.

"America's allies and partners were not asked to come along until after the strikes began. There was no real process in building a consensus," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri said. "Now they're scrambling."

"To see that a new leader has emerged that has a strong intention to strike American bases, to keep American interests out of the region, that is a very tough message," says Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri.

"There’s a real ambiguity here: How closely are the United States and Israel aligned right now?" says Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri. "If the United States were to decide ‘game over, we’re done, we’re sort of withdrawing,’ it’s not at all clear that Israel will follow suit."

"It's absolutely critical that the president speak as a leader, that he accept responsibility, that he apologize, and that he articulate to the American people and to his own troops what's being done to rectify this so that it doesn't happen again," says Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri.

"It appears that President Trump has decided that he's going to be the president that brings democracy to Cuba," Council Nonresident Senior Fellow Cécile Shea says. "It's a dangerous goal."

"This is already a relationship that's really encountered some turbulence in recent months," Council Distinguished Nonresident Fellow Ambassador Julianne Smith says of the transatlantic alliance. "Adding this Iran war now into the mix is only creating added friction."

"President Trump has made it extraordinarily difficult to be a partner or an ally of the United States in this moment," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri tells Sky News.

"Democrats are strongly opposed to the war, Independents tend to oppose the war, and even among Republicans a lot say they don't know," Council Director of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Craig Kafura says, drawing on recent polling.

""I think that President Trump has probably realized he doesn't have the ability to deliver regime change in Iran without committing US troops on the ground," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri says.