Why did the US bomb Iran now? | Nader Hashemi

If Iran's nuclear program was not an imminent threat, what motived the US-Israeli attack? Why now? The answer is political opportunity

The United States has bombed Iran. Donald Trump announced on Sunday that B2 bombers attacked three nuclear sites including the Fordow nuclear site, sometimes referring to as the crown jewel of Iran's nuclear program.

As the world waits for Iran's response, it is worth revisiting events since 12 June, when Israel, with US support, attacked the Islamic Republic. The official reason is nuclear weapons. The real reason I contend is the elimination of the Iran-led Axis of Resistance and establishing Israel regional hegemony over the Middle East with tacit support from Arab autocrats.

Nader Hashemi is associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics and director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University