Trump’s Conflict With Iran: How the Islamic Republic’s Proxies Shape the Risk of War

The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, addresses senior leaders of Iran’s military. Photo courtesy of Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

President Trump said Iran is seeking a deal with the United States as Washington considers possible strikes while increasing its military presence in the Middle East to pressure Tehran into negotiations.

The United States has recently moved a large naval force, including the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group...