On 28 February, the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, striking multiple targets across the country after weeks of simmering tension and ongoing US-Iran negotiations ostensibly aimed at averting war. Iran responded immediately and forcefully, striking Israel and several US military bases in the region. This dramatic escalation comes against the backdrop of Hamas's attack on Israel in 2023, and Israel's subsequent war on Gaza, followed by a succession of unprecedented regional confrontations, including Hezbollah and Houthis, the fall of the Assad regime and a string of assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leadership and Iranian scientists and military leaders. This spotlight will cover all the developments related to the latest attack on Iran and the regional repercussions.

Does Iran Want a Confrontation?

Iran has announced on Monday that it has surpassed the limit of low-enriched uranium it could stockpile under the 2015 nuclear agreement. Although it this is technically not a major escalation, its…

Hanin Ghaddar

Iran’s Possible Covert Tactics

Tensions are rising in the Middle East generally and especially in the Gulf. The Trump Administration decision to end the waivers for eight countries permitted to buy Iranian oil is, not surprisingly…

Dennis Ross

The JCPOA Negotiation Process

On May 8, 2018, the Trump administration formally pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear deal that the P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany)…

Al Majalla - London