On August 14, France and Britain voted against a U.S.-backed UN Security Council resolution to extend the conventional-arms embargo on the Islamic Republic. The week after, they were joined by Germany in opposing American efforts to invoke the “snapback” mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal to punish Tehran for its violations. Bobby Ghosh argues that Washington could have done better to get its allies on board, but ultimate responsibility lies with Europe:

Since the year began, the IDF has stepped up its attacks on Iranian positions in Syria, striking more targets and going deeper into Syrian territory than usual. Meanwhile, Tehran has increased its enrichment of uranium, moving ever closer to building nuclear weapons. Efraim Inbar addresses the situation in depth: