On June 22, 2025, the United States launched a preventive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, a decision that reverberated beyond the Middle East. How might this action reshape thinking about deterrence in the Taiwan Strait? The strike has raised broader questions about U.S. strategy, the credibility of its security assurances, and the potential role of preventive military force in future conflicts.

In a conversation recorded on September 5, 2025, M. Taylor Fravel, Amanda Hsiao, and Jennifer Staats consider what the Iran strike signals about Washington's willingness to use force and implications for Taiwan, East Asia, and the future of U.S. military strategy.

About the speakers