The aircraft can carry the bunker-buster bombs that would be necessary to penetrate the Fordo underground nuclear site in Iran.
The fight between two well-armed Mideast powers has their neighbors worried about the conflict spreading, a concern only deepened by U.S. involvement.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has picked replacements in case military commanders die in Israeli strikes. He has also named possible replacements for himself.
Negotiating with Tehran is time-consuming and difficult under the best of circumstances. And it remains unclear whether President Trump’s 14-day clock is more than a way to buy time for military preparations.
Negotiating with Tehran is time-consuming and difficult under the best of circumstances. And it remains unclear whether President Trump’s 14-day clock is more than a way to buy time for military preparations.
The Israeli military needs American help to destroy a key nuclear site in Iran. Waiting for that help comes with risks for Israel.
If the United States bombs an underground uranium enrichment facility in Iran or kills the country’s supreme leader, it could kick off a more dangerous and unpredictable phase in the war.
China, which depends on Iran for oil and to counter American influence, has a lot to lose from a wider war. But there’s not much it can do about it.
U.S. intelligence officials said Iran was likely to pivot toward producing a nuclear weapon if the U.S. attacked a main uranium enrichment site, or if Israel killed its supreme leader.
While President Trump appears to be offering one more off ramp to the Iranians, he also is bolstering his own military options.