The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: U.S. Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities
Jun 24, 2025
Daniel Byman, Lawfare Foreign Policy Editor and CSIS fellow, and Suzanne Maloney, Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, delve into the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. They analyze Iran's potential responses and regional security implications. The discussion covers the legality of these military actions and their impact on U.S. foreign policy during the Trump administration. Additionally, they explore the delicate geopolitics of the Middle East and the ramifications for Iran's support of Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
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Iran's Covert Nuclear Focus
- Iran's capabilities have been degraded, limiting their immediate retaliation options.
- Iran may be focusing on covertly preserving or rebuilding its nuclear program.
Nuclear Capability's Strategic Value
- Iran values a nuclear capability as existential defense and negotiation leverage.
- Nuclear capability offers deterrence against future attacks and regime survival.
Strikes May Accelerate Nuclear Rush
- Military strikes risk pushing Iran towards accelerated nuclear weaponization.
- Lack of a clear post-strike plan may worsen the nuclear threat.