Richmond expert weighs in on American involvement in Israel-Iran conflict

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As tensions between Israel and Iran continue, the U.S. has taken a major step towards deeper involvement.

"The thought that World War III is happening -- that’s usually an allusion to a nuclear war ... [but] we do not appear to be in a nuclear encounter," said Chris Saladino, a political science professor and international policy expert at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

Over the weekend, U.S. forces launched targeted strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.

According to Saladino, Iran had three options in response: avoid further retaliation, respond with full force, or make a minimal but strategic move.

Just days after the strikes, Iranian officials launched missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar. While nearly all of the missiles were intercepted and no injuries were reported, experts have said the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to anticipate.

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"They [Iran] made it clear to the global media ... 'That's exactly what we're doing, we're matching tit for tat,'" Saladino said.

He said that, while Iran does not currently have the capability to launch a nuclear war on its own, it has close ties with Russia, which is a nuclear power.

Still, Russia’s involvement is uncertain, as it continues to be stretched thin by its own military and economic constraints with the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

“Russia is kind of tied up,” Saladino said. “It’s running out of significant resources.”

Despite the rising tensions, President Donald Trump took to social media to claim that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran could be on the horizon.

Saladino said this means a nuclear war is far from likely -- although he warns that this situation is anything but predictable.

"All of those things have to click every day, I think, for a few days -- and maybe a couple of weeks -- before we know how those directions are going to play out," he said.

Though many fear a nuclear war is the only possible outcome, Saladino stressed it is unlikely, especially following Trump's social post. He said that, if war did continue, it could take many forms -- from cyberattacks to economic warfare.