Alexander Murray Smith

1 week ago | nbcnews.com | Alexander Murray Smith

If President Donald Trump does decide to use the United States' largest conventional bomb to destroy Iran's fortresslike Fordo nuclear enrichment facility, the colossal force of the explosion would likely cause casualties among workers or anyone else still at the site. But it would not trigger a nuclear explosion or a widespread radiological or chemical spill, according to former nuclear officials and experts.

1 week ago | nbcnews.com | Alexander Murray Smith

Iraq descended into a deadly insurgency and then full-blown sectarian civil war. After American troops left in 2011, the Islamic State terrorist group flourished and was able to establish its own caliphate - a religious kingdom - before America and its allies returned again to wipe ISIS out. Meanwhile, in Libya, Moammar Gadhafi responded to 2011's Arab Spring protests with lethal force, killing hundreds of protesters. NATO launched airstrikes and Gadhafi was captured and killed.

1 week ago | aol.com | Alexander Murray Smith

Just as the streets of Tehran and Tel Aviv are strewn with debris, history is littered with cautionary tales of regime change. Does Israel want only to neuter Iran's nuclear program or is it seeking to topple the regime itself? This is the central question hanging over its barrage of the Islamic Republic. Though his government denies it is an official goal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Iranians to use this opportunity to rise up against their clerical rulers.

1 week ago | nbcnews.com | Alexander Murray Smith

With his country having killed some of Iran's top military commanders and rattled its leadership, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government's aerial assault on Iran could trigger the collapse of the regime, opening the door to a popular uprising. "It's impossible to predict, but it could be the result of our mighty action," Netanyahu told reporters.

1 week ago | rsn.org | Alexander Murray Smith

Successful Western-backed regime change is rare — while calamities have abounded. That's partly why President Donald Trump has said he is so against foreign interventionism. Just as the streets of Tehran and Tel Aviv are strewn with debris, history is littered with cautionary tales of regime change. Does Israel want only to neuter Iran's nuclear program or is it seeking to topple the regime itself? This is the central question hanging over its barrage of the Islamic Republic.