ABSTRACT
Even though the Iraq War proved so intractable and resulted in a degree of violence and insecurity that surpassed the expectations of even the most pessimistic analyst, this did not erode the belief that Iran presented an even greater problem and could not be allowed to have even the capacity to develop nuclear weapons. In the worst case, a crisis with Iran could extend to military action by the United States or Israel, or perhaps a combination of both. Chapter 10, written in 2006 before the Israeli defeat in southern Lebanon, assessed the possible consequences of a war with Iran and argued that the resulting instability made it eminently wise to rule out military action as a means of approaching the issue of Iranian nuclear ambitions.
