Good morning. The war is spreading. Two Iranian drones just fell into Azerbaijan, and more Iranian strikes were reported in Israel and Iraq. And Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, said American and Israeli warplanes would soon gain total control of Iranian airspace, allowing them to deliver “death and destruction from the sky all day long.” We have more below. But let’s start by answering some of your questions about what’s happening in the war.
Your Iran questionsAfter the Iran war began, we invited you to submit your questions about the crisis in the Middle East. The response was robust. A selection of reader questions follows here, along with answers from Times reporters. Keep them coming — we welcome questions about what’s happening and how we’re covering it. The campaignWhat explains President Trump’s turnabout on foreign wars and nation building? | Eloise Gore | Tucson, Ariz. Peter Baker, who covers the White House, writes: There are a number of theories, but three factors I think are particularly important: One is that after five years in office, Trump is more comfortable with the use of power, both at home and abroad. The second is that he is now surrounded by advisers who either encourage his most aggressive instincts or see their role as facilitating his desires. And finally, as he approaches his 80th birthday, he seems increasingly focused on his place in history, looking to make sweeping changes here and overseas, toppling foreign leaders, taking over other countries or territories, literally redrawing the map of the planet. How did the United States get such specific information about where Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his advisers would be, and when? | Dorene Watkins | New York City David Sanger, who covers the White House and national security, writes: As you can imagine, American intelligence agencies are not eager to explain. But the United States can access billions of sensors in the world and track people close to leaders who may be sloppy about the digital dust they leave. That lets spies track the movement of motorcades, the opening of electronic locks and the location of web-connected devices like cellphones and watches. Read my story about these capabilities. Do Israel and the United States have the same objectives in attacking Iran? | Giovanni Cavarzere | Verona, Italy Michael Crowley, who covers diplomacy, writes: Both the United States and Israel intend to devastate Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. But Israel is more committed to a campaign lasting weeks to bring down Iran’s theocratic regime, while Trump’s priorities have repeatedly shifted. He has said he might be open to cutting a deal with the current government that would stop the war sooner. Iran’s choicesLast weekend, we saw people mourning Khamenei’s death in vast numbers — as well as people celebrating under cover of the night. Do we know what share of Iranians support the government and what share want it gone? | Agnès Billa | Montreal Farnaz Fassihi, who covers Iran, writes: Over the years, we’ve seen Iranians take to the streets in nationwide protests to demand the end of the Islamic republic, most recently in early January. The protesters come from all over, all age groups, all classes. I say very roughly that about 20 percent of voters form a loyal, ideological base that backs the Islamic theocracy. We can draw these numbers from patterns in the latest presidential and parliamentary elections. Turnout was very low, and a majority of eligible voters boycotted the election as an act of protest. Many Iranians say they are simply fed up with the policies of their rulers and have lost hope that they will ever reform or change. What are the options for regime change in Iran? Would the army side with the people to overthrow the Revolutionary Guards? Can the people of Iran act on their own to create democracy? | Lola Ams | Nice, France Erika Solomon, who covers Iran, writes: The military and security forces don’t seem to be cracking, but the war is only a few days old. Some military experts say that if strikes continue, they could encourage defections that fracture the system. But it’s hard for people to rise up under heavy bombardment. Later, they might be more worried about how to survive amid the country’s economic crisis. And any organizing will have to cover a lot of new ground. The government has long stifled dissent and criticism of the government.
Is there another political party that could come into power that the United States and its allies would support? | Jennifer Close | Greenfield, Mass. Erika also writes: It’s probably better to think of this as political forces versus parties. If the government survives, it could go two ways: Reformist figures from within push the country to take a more moderate line, maybe talking to Washington and ending the nuclear program. But the war — particularly if it becomes more chaotic and deadly — could also radicalize people in a hard-line direction. If the system collapses, a lot of political figures could want to come in. But the opposition in Iran is bitterly divided — which will make it hard for its members to unify under the banner of a clear alternative. Has the United States ever carried out a forcible regime change that was successful, lasting and (eventually) sovereign? | Abby Peters | Cedar Falls, Iowa Anton Troianovski, who covers foreign policy, writes: Do you count Germany and the postwar Marshall Plan that brought it back to life? Some might point to Panama: A U.S. invasion in 1989 deposed the dictator Manuel Noriega. His successor, Guillermo Endara, was sworn in on a U.S. military base and helped lead the country to democracy. But that war involved thousands of American ground troops and left Panama’s economy in such ruins that Endara went on a hunger strike to seek emergency U.S. aid. Panama’s population back then was about two million. Iran’s is 90 million. The list of efforts that ended in chaos or defeat — Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond — underlines the huge risks. Will Iran attack us? How will this campaign affect Americans? Is there anything we need to do? | Eden Jensen | Madison, Wis. Adam Goldman, who covers global security, writes: That’s possible as Iran retaliates. So far it has tried to hurt U.S. interests in the region. But Iran has mounted plots on American soil in the past, including a suspected effort to assassinate Trump that the F.B.I. foiled in 2024. (The Pentagon said yesterday that it had killed the organizer in this week’s bombardment.) Typically, the U.S. intelligence community increases measures to protect the American public when the country goes to war, relying on electronic surveillance and informants to suss out any possible attack. The latest on the war
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Famous wood: Antonio Stradivari made some of the world’s best violins. Tree rings on the instruments reveal what forests they came from. Sad desk lunch: Office workers in Paris, renowned for taking luxuriously long midday meals, have developed an appetite for the on-the-go slop bowl. Your pick: The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about a potential successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. |
