All issues · Middle East · No. 32

The War with Iran

What should the United States be trying to achieve, and what is it willing to pay to achieve it?

The United States and Israel began strikes on Iran in February 2026, opening the largest American military engagement in the region in two decades. This page describes the enduring questions the conflict raises rather than its day-to-day developments, which change constantly.

The conflict follows years of unresolved dispute over Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missile development, and its support for armed groups across the region. Negotiations after the collapse of the 2015 nuclear agreement did not produce a replacement.

Fighting has been punctuated by ceasefires and partial agreements that have repeatedly broken down. Disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has had global economic effects, since a large share of seaborne oil passes through it.

Stated American objectives have shifted over the course of the conflict, and have at various points included preventing Iranian nuclear weapons capability, degrading missile and naval forces, reopening the strait, and encouraging political change in Tehran. Whether these objectives are compatible with one another is itself disputed.

This is an active conflict. Facts on the ground change faster than any reference page can track, and readers should consult current news reporting for the present state of hostilities and negotiations.

The positionsFind your officials →

POSITION 1 / 3

Sustain military pressure

Iran responds to leverage, and easing before objectives are met would surrender what has already been paid for.

A nuclear-armed Iran would trigger proliferation across the region.
Partial agreements have repeatedly broken down, indicating pressure was released too early.
Restoring freedom of navigation is a direct and measurable objective.
Credibility with other adversaries depends on following through on stated goals.

POSITION 2 / 3

Negotiated settlement

Military action cannot produce the political outcome being sought, and the costs of continuation exceed what is achievable.

Nuclear knowledge cannot be destroyed by strikes, only delayed.
Economic disruption from the conflict falls on consumers worldwide.
Civilian casualties and displacement create long-term regional consequences.
Wars pursued toward shifting objectives have historically ended badly.

POSITION 3 / 3

Congressional authorization first

However this is resolved, the constitutional question of who may commit the country to war deserves an answer.

Sustained hostilities are war in substance whatever they are called.
Congress has not voted on a new authorization for this conflict.
Public support is more durable when its representatives have gone on record.
Defined objectives and exit conditions should precede escalation, not follow it.

Terms you will hearFind your officials →

Strait of Hormuz: A narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the open ocean through which a large share of seaborne oil passes.
JCPOA: The 2015 nuclear agreement limiting Iranian enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief; no longer in force.
Enrichment: Increasing the concentration of fissile uranium; low levels fuel reactors, high levels enable weapons.
Proxy forces: Armed groups supported by a state but not formally part of its military.

What people actually disagree aboutFind your officials →

Can military action prevent nuclear capability, or only delay it?
What would count as an end to this conflict, and who decides?
Should Congress vote on an authorization before hostilities continue?

Do something about itFind your officials →

Know where you stand? The people who actually vote on this are reachable, and a message in your own words carries more weight than a form letter.

Find your officials →

Was this page balanced?

We are not asking whether you agree with any position — only whether each one was stated fairly. That is the standard this site is built to meet.

Think a position here is stated unfairly? Tell us what an advocate for that view would say instead.