New threats could push US and Iran toward war
The US director of national intelligence warned that Iran was in the "advanced stages" of planning attacks against American officials abroad, prompting personnel evacuations and heightening the risk of a return to all-out war. US President Donald Trump said Sunday he is weighing military action to "finish it off," while Tehran warned that American strikes wouldn't alter its position. With US and Israeli elections looming, domestic political pressures are factoring into military planning; The New York Times wrote that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could decide to launch one last strike if defeated Tuesday, and that Trump may want to demonstrate that his authority as commander in chief is undiminished.
Why it matters: The warning bears on Middle East security, where electoral pressures in the US and Israel are feeding into military planning toward Iran.