Rising Lion, Falling Order? The Israel-Iran Conflict and What’s Next

Following Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion”—a series of coordinated strikes targeting Iranian military installations, nuclear facilities, and leadership—the Middle East has once again been plunged into turmoil. How likely is direct U.S. involvement, including a potential bombing campaign? What are the implications for global oil markets? Could this conflict open the door to renewed diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear program, or does it signal a shift toward pursuing regime change in Tehran?

On June 18, the Center for the National Interest hosted an expert panel featuring Greg Priddy, Senior Fellow for the Middle East at the Center for the National Interest and former Director for Global Oil at Eurasia Group; and Joshua Yaphe, Senior Fellow at the Center and former lead analyst for the Arabian Peninsula at the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

Both Priddy and Yaphe are regular contributors to The National Interest. Priddy’s latest article is “Has Israel Crossed the Rubicon?” and Yaphe’s is “Israel’s Iran Strike: What’s Next?”

Jacob Heilbrunn, Editor of The National Interest, moderated the discussion.