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In 2025, Richard Nephew and Ariana Tabatabai wrote, “Trump Has A Rare and Short Window to Solve the Iran Problem – Here’s How,” where they argued the second Trump administration should intensify pressure on Tehran amid its accelerating nuclear program. A year later, amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, we asked Richard to revisit their arguments. Image: khamenei.ir via Wikimedia Commons In your 2025 article, “Trump Has a Rare and Short Window to Solve the Iran Problem – Here’s How,” you argued the second Trump administration should exploit the Iranian regime’s weakened position by intensifying pressure on Tehran amid its accelerating nuclear program. Are operations like Midnight Hammer the kind of pressure campaign you had in mind? If so, explain why. If not, what tools or approaches do you believe would better align with the strategy you outlined?Military action, along the lines of the Israeli operations that preceded Midnight Hammer and including it, has long been part of the decision set. Consequently, the threat of force has been part of the broader pressure campaign, certainly as I envisioned it. So, in that sense, yes, Midnight Hammer was part of the overall effort I had in mind. But, force ought to have been reserved as a last resort.Military force is not foolproof. I worried before Israel launched its attacks that neither it nor the United States would be able to eliminate Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. This was proven correct: the June attacks did not eliminate Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium or Iran’s ability to turn it into a nuclear weapon. Although the president argued at the time that Iran’s ability to make a bomb was “obliterated,” his very focus on the nuclear program again this week is absolute confirmation that this risk remains. A negotiated deal, by