By the time President Donald Trump was milling about his golf club in New Jersey on Friday evening, the planes were about to be in the air. To onlookers at the club, Trump showed little anxiety about his decision to authorize airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities that could have profound ramifications both on US national security and his own presidential legacy.

In a bold and high-stakes move over the weekend, the United States launched a massive airstrike against three of Iran’s most critical nuclear sites, sparking international concern and raising questions about the future of U.