When “America First” Becomes “Israel First”

For more than four decades, the United States’ approach toward Iran was defined not by open warfare, but by sustained pressure. Crippling economic sanctions, covert sabotage, and targeted assassinations formed a long-running strategy designed to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions without triggering full-scale conflict. This protracted shadow war—while aggressive, harmful to ordinary citizens, and often controversial—maintained a critical boundary: it stopped short of direct military confrontation.