"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.
The congressional split over the war powers resolution signals that US President Donald Trump lacks broad support for the military intervention in Iran—and opposition on Capitol Hill is likely to grow if the war grinds on.
Is this a contained escalation, or the start of something much bigger? Former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro joins from Tel Aviv to unpack what’s driving this moment.
""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.
US President Donald Trump has called for regime change, the destruction of Iranian military capability, and the degradation of proxy groups. But an operation with multiple goals carries greater risk.
