Iranian Missiles Challenge US Defenses
Iran has also expanded its list of targets to include Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, particularly the city of Erbil. During Saturday's attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, two US soldiers were killed, bringing the total number of American fatalities to 17 and prompting further retaliation.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the attack involved new tactics and previously unseen projectiles. Anonymous Pentagon officials told the newspaper that Iran had adapted to US air defense systems by deploying missiles capable of traveling at much higher speeds and maneuvering during their terminal descent.
This differs significantly from the flight profile of many conventional ballistic missiles, which travel outside the atmosphere during the midcourse phase before re-entering it during the terminal phase of flight.
The newspaper, citing US officials, reported that Iran's ability to strike sensitive targets has raised concerns in Washington that it may be receiving targeting assistance from China or Russia.
It also cited analysts' concerns that the latest escalation could once again develop into a full-scale war.
The Nuclear Dimension
The memorandum of understanding that was intended to serve as the basis for a final agreement – and from which Tehran formally withdrew over the weekend – did not mention Iran's nuclear program, even though concerns about the program had served as the official justification for the US strikes. The omission was reportedly deliberate for strategic reasons. However, the issue has now returned to the forefront because of developments elsewhere in the Middle East.
Although International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said there was no evidence that Iran had a plan or was making a systematic effort to develop a nuclear weapon, the country’s nuclear program nevertheless served as a form of deterrence through a strategy known as nuclear hedging.
Saudi Arabia is likely to pursue a similar strategy in the near future after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman secured a potentially significant strategic victory for his country. Over the weekend, the administration of US President Donald Trump provisionally approved an agreement supporting the development of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program.
Negotiations began last year but ended without an accord in October 2025. Trump and bin Salman nevertheless regard each other as valuable allies, a relationship that has now produced a secret deal, according to CNN.
Sources familiar with the agreement said it would allow Riyadh to build nuclear reactors and operate centrifuges to enrich uranium. Saudi Arabia would therefore receive White House approval to enrich uranium without bringing an Additional Protocol to its IAEA safeguards agreement into force.
Saudi Arabia already has a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA in force, but it has not brought an Additional Protocol into force. Such a protocol would give inspectors broader access to nuclear sites and information, including certain locations not declared by the state.
Congress Could Still Block the Deal
CNN reported that a draft proposal providing US support for Riyadh’s civilian nuclear program was awaiting Trump’s signature. Two sources said the war with Iran was the reason it had not yet been signed, even though Trump has said that conflict was triggered by Iran’s nuclear program.
The White House is also delaying final approval because of concerns that the proposed accord could face a bipartisan resolution of disapproval in Congress, one source said. Such a measure would effectively block the deal, which includes a Section 123 agreement and a legally binding treaty on safeguards.
The term refers to Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, which allows the Department of Energy to support the development of civilian nuclear programs abroad, provided the country concerned is a signatory to international nuclear agreements.
Bin Salman has made no secret of his willingness to pursue a Saudi nuclear weapons program if Iran develops a bomb. Although he first made such remarks in 2018, those plans now appear to be taking shape. CNN’s sources said the White House had not yet submitted the proposal to Congress for review.
