Object

Tehran's Medium-Range Missiles

Tehran's medium-range missiles drive crisis in the Oval Office late at night. Leo warns Bartlet that Tehran accelerates tests by two weeks, turning political missteps into geopolitical peril. Nancy joins the briefing as the threat mounts, Charlie listens nearby, and Bartlet absorbs the fallout amid personal decisions and Salmon Afkham's surgery.

1 appearances

Purpose

Conduct accelerated medium-range missile tests to demonstrate military capabilities

Significance

Escalates international tensions, amplifies political fallout from White House decisions, and forces Bartlet to confront compounded crises during a pivotal night

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

1 moments

S4E9 · Swiss Diplomacy

Nightfall Decisions: Nominee, Missiles, and a Surgery Underway

Tehran's medium-range missiles are referenced as an accelerating external threat, compressing the timeline for White House response and elevating the political stakes of the precinct captain confusion and the diplomatic-medical plea behind Salmon Afkham's surgery.

Before: Tests scheduled but not yet accelerated; intelligence indicates normal pacing.

After: Reported to be accelerating by two weeks, creating an urgent national-security variable for the administration to address.

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