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War with Iran is probably less likely than you think

Here’s what to watch for.

Analysis by
and 
June 17, 2019 at 7:45 a.m. EDT
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gives a press briefing at the State Department on Thursday on the attack on two oil tankers near the entrance to the Persian Gulf. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

Why war with Iran might be less likely than you think.

Last week, an attack on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman raised tensions between the United States and Iran — on the heels of a similar attack in May. Though Iran denied responsibility, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said intelligence evidence showed Iran was to blame, and President Trump concurred that “Iran did do it.” Although questions remain in some quarters about the attack’s nature and source, on Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said the evidence Iran was responsible is “very strong and compelling.”