For almost two decades, the United States and Israel have tried to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Israeli leaders — including the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu — have pushed for a military strike on Iran, a prospect that American presidents have long opposed. But a Times investigation reveals a secret history that shows how close the three countries came to war. Guest: Mark Mazzetti, a Washington investigative correspondent for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:

Interviews with dozens of current and former American, Israeli and European officials over several months reveal the startling details of a narrowly averted war and raise questions about how President Trump will respond.
Moving further away from the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran said on Thursday that it had stopped honoring the deal’s limits on research and development.

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Iran distances itself from attack on US ...