What’s next after U.S. inserts itself into Israel-Iran war?
President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen. Carlos Barria/Pool via AP
The United States launched an attack on Iran over the weekend targeting the nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. President Trump addressed the nation late Saturday night — flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In that speech and in media appearances the next day, all four of them made clear America’s only motive was to destroy Iran’s capacity to make nuclear weapons.
A panel of Middle East and geopolitics experts share their reactions to the U.S.'s move and an analysis of the repercussions.
GUESTS
Nicholas Grossman
Political Science Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Senior Editor, Arc Digital
Author, “Drones and Terror: Asymmetric Warfare and the Threat to Global Security”
Norma Claire Moruzzi
Associate Professor, Gender and Women's Studies, International Studies and Political Science, University of Illinois Chicago
Associate Editor, Iranian Studies
Mateo Mohammad Farzaneh
Professor and Chair of History & Political Science, Northeastern Illinois University