Shapiro served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East until January—charged with, among other things, considering scenarios in which tensions between Israel and Iran escalated into all-out war and preparing U.

The United States is the main international backer of Israel, Iran's biggest regional foe. It is also a close ally of Sunni Gulf monarchies which for years pursued their own rivalry with the Islamic Republic, seeing it as their main regional threat.

Iran launched a new wave of missiles at Israel on Saturday, wounding several people in residential buildings, while Israel said it was striking Tehran. The fresh attacks came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit “every target of the ayatollah regime”,

In sweeping attacks that started early Friday, Israel has struck at the regime in Tehran, targeting Iranian nuclear and military assets. The Israeli strikes have killed more than 70 people, including four top security chiefs, and damaged Iran’s main nuclear site at Natanz.

Israel and Iran have continued to trade heavy missile strikes overnight as Donald Trump threatens to respond 'at levels never seen before' if Tehran attacks US bases.Posting on Truth Social, the US president said his forces had “nothing to do with the attack on Iran,

Israel and Iran traded fire for a third straight day on Sunday, with rising casualties and expanding targets marking a sharp escalation in the conflict between the longtime adversaries. Overnight Iranian strikes killed at least ten people in Israel,

The two sides were scheduled to meet for a sixth round of negotiations on Sunday. Oman, which was set to host the talks, said on Saturday that this round had been canceled.

Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles toward Israel on Friday night in retaliation for Israel's surprise attack early Friday. Israel struck at the heart of the Iran's nuclear program, killing several nuclear scientists as well as high-ranking military leaders, according to Israeli officials.

The United States has pulled some diplomatic staff and military families out of the Middle East, citing unspecified regional security risks.

National security experts warn that Israel's attack on Iran shows why Chinese land and asset purchases in the U.S. pose a significant threat to American security.