As coordinated U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran intensifies, urgent questions are emerging about Tehran’s strategic calculations, the risks of wider regional involvement, and where this confrontation may lead.

In response to this rapidly evolving moment, American Friends of the University of Haifa invites you to view an emergency briefing with Amatzia Baram, Professor Emeritus of Middle East History and Director of the Center for Iraq Studies at the University of Haifa.

Drawing on decades of scholarship on regional power structures and radical Islamic movements, Prof. Baram examined how Iran thinks and operates in moments of confrontation – its strategic posture, escalation doctrine, and regional pressure mechanisms – and what the current phase of military engagement may signal moving forward.

He addressed:

• How to understand the current escalation between Israel, the United States, and Iran

• Iran’s strategic decision-making under direct military pressure

• The risks of regional widening and proxy involvement

• Strategic limits, deterrence calculations, and possible next steps

• Implications for regional stability and international actors

At a moment when developments are unfolding by the hour, this briefing provided clear, historically grounded analysis to help make sense of a rapidly shifting landscape.