President Trump’s decision to authorize a military strike on Iran is a seismic moment that could reshape the future of the Middle East and his presidency.

The administration on Sunday signaled it wants to contain the conflict, underscoring that it does not want an all-out war with Iran but will not accept a world where Tehran has a nuclear weapon.

Whether it can contain the fallout is a different proposition and one that may depend largely on Iran.

Politically, the vast majority of Republicans are sticking with Trump, while many Democrats are expressing outrage over what they see as a lack of strategy, as well as a lack of notification to Congress ahead of the strikes.

The move by Trump is, in some ways, a surprise, as he came to office promising to keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts. Now, less than six months into his second term, he is on the brink of a larger battle.

Here are five big questions about what comes next.

How does Iran respond?

This is the most important question.

Administration officials on Sunday signaled that they are hopeful Iran will return to the negotiating table, but signs quickly emerged of a more aggressive response from Tehran.

Iranian television reported that Iran’s Parliament had approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route between Iran and Oman. State-run Press TV said a final decision on doing so rested with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Shutting off the waterway could have major implications for global trade, leading to increased oil and gas prices in the U.S. That would bite at Trump, who vowed to bring down prices after years of high inflation under former President Biden in the post-COVID era.

It also risks turning the conflict into a broader war.

Iran could also launch strikes against U.S. military targets, though its abilities to do so have been hampered by more than a week of strikes by Israel, which has allowed U.S. and Israeli planes more security to fly over Iranian skies.

Another widely discussed possibility is that Iran could back terror attacks around the world on U.S. targets.

Of course, there would be serious risks to such actions by Iran.

Just taking steps to move forward with its nuclear program, let alone........

© The Hill