COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Mike Reilly of A&M's Bush School says the U.S. attacking Iran is a high-risk, high-reward move as the Trump administration tries to bring Israel and Iran to a ceasefire and peace to the Middle East.
- The United States carried out 'Operation Midnight Hammer' on Saturday, June 21, which targeted Iran's nuclear activity.
- Iran then retaliated by firing missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar on Monday, June 23.
- Tensions remain high as an initial ceasefire between Israel and Iran fell apart on Tuesday, June 24.
- Mike Reilly, an Associate Professor of Practice at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government & Public Service and a former U.S. Marine, tells 15 ABC that there will need to be a lot of day-to-day support by the Trump administration to keep Israel and Iran at the negotiating table and work on establishing trust.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"I think you're looking at big risk, big reward," Mike Reilly, an Associate Professor of Practice at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government & Public Service and a former U.S. Marine, said.
More conflict in the Middle East, but this time around, the U.S. is also getting involved.
"Once Israel started to conduct their strikes into Iran, the pressure was really mounting on the Trump administration to take some kind of action to show solidarity and go along with them," said Reilly.
15 ABC asked Reilly what his thoughts were on the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear activity and the significance behind that operation.
"Yeah, it's huge. I mean, I think we can't understate it, quite frankly."
Reilly tells 15 ABC 'Operation Midnight Hammer' appeared to be a tactical success.
“President Trump is really trying to get here with a peace deal between Iran and Israel," said Reilly. "And if he can get that through this one decisive action, then that would be huge for the administration and for peace in the Middle East."
Iran then retaliated against a U.S. base in Qatar, a strike that Reilly says was fairly scripted.
“This was their way of saving face, and the U.S. through the Trump administration seemed to accept it," said Reilly. "There were no casualties, missiles were intercepted, and now let's all go make peace.”
But making peace won't be easy after Israel and Iran's initial ceasefire fell apart.
"This isn't over yet, and there's still a lot of work to be done," said Reilly.
And with conflict around the world, the economic impact remains fluid.
"There's a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, and uncertainty does have its own economic impact because it slows things down," Ray Perryman, President of The Perryman Group, said. "I mean, in any area of our lives, if we're uncertain, our natural tendency is not to do anything, which in the case of the economy means don't buy a new car, don't buy a new house, don't hire more people, don't bring out a new product, [and] don't build a new building."
As peace talks continue in the Middle East, our neighbors are remaining vigilant in the West.
"There is a potential for Iran to try to conduct some kind of terrorist operations here in the continental United States, either kinetic or cyber related," said Reilly. "I mean, it's always a possibility right now, and that's why I think it's important for the U.S. to try to be good peace brokers here."