"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.
"US President Donald Trump and his administration are plainly unmoved by claims that they bear responsibility for the fates of nations where the United States has intervened," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Suzanne Nossel writes.
"The strike that killed Khamenei also wiped out a lot of the potential candidates or people that they thought would be the next in line," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast says. "There's still an immense amount of uncertainty."
"If the ambition is regime change, the means that are being used certainly are insufficient to achieve that," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri says. "Iran has been succession planning for a very long time."
"The markets can take it for a short amount of time," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Rachel Bronson says. "Beyond that—very difficult. Prices will increase, [and] people will feel it at home."
Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Suzanne Nossel makes the case for independent oversight of artificial intelligence platforms as its evolving capabilities reshape the world.
"It looks like the very motivation that led the US to enter the war in Iraq is now in play with Iran," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast says.
"Beneath the political turbulence, the transatlantic defense tech ecosystem is expanding rapidly—spanning venture capital, dual-use innovation, and cross-border partnerships," Council Distinguished Nonresident Fellow Ambassador Julianne Smith and Wendy R. Anderson write.
Cécile Shea unpacks the Supreme Court's ruling against US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs and how businesses are bracing for the administration's next moves.
