The professor’s presentation delved into the US-Israel war on Iran that did not go as planned. The Islamic Republic had survived, its nuclear ambitions were intact, and its Arab neighbors were experiencing unprecedented levels of military and economic insecurity. America’s NATO allies were growingly concerned about their energy security and the future of their transatlantic alliance with the US, and the American public was increasingly worried about another “forever war” and gas prices at the pump. What began as an effort to resolve a longstanding regional threat had evolved into a protracted standoff with uncertain implications for regional stability and American strategic interests.