Assessing Iranian, U.S., and Gulf Reactions and Options Following Israel’s Unprecedented Attack on Iran

Israel’s sudden and massive attack on Iran has upended the strategic calculations of all parties in the Gulf region, including the United States, and disrupted – likely beyond repair – Washington’s nuclear negotiations with Iran.  

At this early stage, numerous key questions have already arisen: How will Israel’s attack on Iran play out in the coming days and weeks? How will the administration of President Donald J. Trump react? Will it join Israel directly or indirectly in this attack or seek to unambiguously restrain the Israelis and return to a diplomatic process with Tehran? Is such a policy viable, both politically at home and diplomatically in the Middle East? How will Iran calculate its own interests under these radically altered new circumstances, and how will it calibrate its response? And will Gulf states’ initial, cautious responses coalesce into something more unified and forward leaning, either in public statements or in private diplomacy? 

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