Iran Has Ties to Al Qaeda, Trump Officials Tell Skeptical Congress

A paper by Nelly Lahoud was cited in a New York Times article regarding the Trump administration's perception of ties between Iran and Al Qaeda.

Lawmakers are wary of officials using links between Iran and Al Qaeda as a pretext for war because the administration of President George W. Bush talked of a relationship between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda in 2002 to build a case for the invasion of Iraq. There were never close ties between the two.

The question of whether Mr. Trump might strike Iran has intensified since early May, when the White House announced military movements because of what American officials said was new intelligence showing a heightened threat against American interests from Iran or allied militias.