Since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, the prospect for a larger regional conflict has loomed. The Biden administration has sent two carrier strike groups to the region to “serve as a deterrent signal to Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and any other proxy across the region,” in the words of a senior defense official. At the same time, regional actors such as Iran have declared that they have “red lines” and that an Israeli ground campaign in Gaza would lead them and/​or their proxies to respond. Whether such actors targeted US troops in Iraq or Syria, or whether US troops entered the war in the event of an escalation, there is a real risk of the United States entering another war in the Middle East. Does the president have the authority to bring the United States into the war? What are the dangers of such a conflict for the United States? Please join our diverse panel of experts for an examination of these questions.

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