The U.S. turned on a dime from high-level diplomatic negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program to a full-blown military operation to take out Tehran’s leadership, an extraordinary sequence of events that could shape North Korea’s own willingness to engage in talks.

For weeks, Oman had brokered talks involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly making "significant” progress and even achieving a “breakthrough” last week.

But even as Washington engaged in diplomacy, it rapidly built up its military forces in the Middle East, ramping up