Intro

For almost two decades, the United States and Israel have tried to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Israeli leaders — including the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu — have pushed for a military strike on Iran, a prospect that American presidents have long opposed. But a Times investigation reveals a secret history that shows how close the three countries came to war. Guest: Mark Mazzetti, a Washington investigative correspondent for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:

• Interviews with dozens of current and former American, Israeli and European officials over several months reveal the startling details of a narrowly averted war and raise questions about how President Trump will respond.
• Moving further away from the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran said on Thursday that it had stopped honoring the deal’s limits on research and development.

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