Call Me Back - with Dan Senor Trump’s Options on the Brink of War - with Mark Dubowitz and Nadav Eyal
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Feb 22, 2026 
Nadav Eyal, Israeli journalist with on-the-ground security reporting, and Mark Dubowitz, U.S. foreign policy analyst focused on Iran and sanctions, discuss looming U.S.–Iran choices. They debate the likelihood of strike versus diplomacy. They map hardened nuclear sites, U.S. force posture in the region, Israel’s defense gaps, Hezbollah risks, and how politics and signaling shape possible military options.
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Trump Leaning Toward Strike If Zero Enrichment Rejected
- President Trump appears to be leaning toward military action if Iran refuses to meet demands on zero enrichment and dismantlement of its nuclear program.
- Mark Dubowitz says a written Iranian proposal is expected and failure to accept U.S. minima (zero enrichment, zero reprocessing) will likely trigger strikes.
Pickaxe Mountain Presents New Deeply Buried Nuclear Risk
- Pickaxe Mountain is an Iranian project digging hundreds of feet under a mountain near Natanz to host enrichment, centrifuge manufacturing, and weaponization activities.
- Mark warns it could be deeper than Fordow and challenge bunker-buster munitions, making preemptive strikes urgent.
U.S. Force Laydown Mirrors 2003 Iraq Levels
- The U.S. has deployed force levels to the Middle East comparable to the 2003 Iraq lead-up, including two carrier strike groups and many air/naval assets.
- Mark and Dan note this concentration is unsustainable long-term and is intended to pressure Iran or set conditions for strikes.