America’s persistent support for the Jewish state has baffled many observers—particularly so-called foreign-policy “realists”—leading some to deluded if not anti-Semitic invocations of the mythical power of the “Jewish lobby.” Revisiting his 2008 essay, “The New Israel and the Old,” Walter Russell Mead argues that American’s affinity for Zionism goes back to the 19th century, is connected to the ideals of the American founding, and reflects conviction deeply held by the American people. (Interview by Michael Doran; video, one hour.)

In a formal report on Monday, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made clear—without saying it outright—that the Islamic Republic had deliberately misled the agency about its ongoing nuclear activities. Richard Goldberg explains what this means with regard to the White House’s hopes of reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the 2015 agreement with Tehran is formally known: