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Some U.S. officials talked about an "axis" of authoritarian nations, but the American and Israeli war with Iran has exposed the limits of that idea.
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U.S. President Donald Trump is touting a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran, despite what he said were violations of the deal by both sides shortly after he announced it. Trump said he was especially angry with Israel and urged the country to stand down as he faces mounting criticism over the prospect of another U.S. war in the Middle East. "Part of the reason why Trump also was quite eager to get to a ceasefire, why he's so frustrated with what the Israelis are doing right now, is precisely because he's very much aware of the strain that all of this has caused within his own support base," says political analyst Trita Parsi. Parsi says the breakdown of the global Non-Proliferation Treaty on nuclear weapons could lead to dangerous consequences, as countries like Iran see incentive to build their own nuclear deterrence.
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Israel is intensifying its war on Iran, bombing the headquarters of the country's national TV network on Monday and assassinating another top military leader. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also suggested killing Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded with barrages of long-range missiles targeting Israel. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown little interest in containing Israel's assault, posting on social media that "everyone should immediately evacuate" the capital Tehran.
"How can a city, a metropolis of 10 million people, suddenly evacuate? And to where?" says Iranian American journalist Negar Mortazavi. She notes that while Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is civilian in nature, these attacks could push the leadership into militarizing it and pursuing nuclear weapons.
We also speak with Israeli political analyst Ori Goldberg, who says the war on Iran has allowed Israel's establishment to "draw the world's attention away from Gaza," countering rising domestic and international criticism. "Netanyahu felt the global sentiment shifting … and because of that, he attacked Iran."
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