The U.S. and Iran had been set for a fifth round of nuclear talks when Israeli launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board passed a resolution declaring Iran in violation of its nuclear obligations.

But info sharing has since tailed off — underscoring the degree to which Iran is using silence to obscure international understanding over the status of its nuclear program. During the Cold War, strategic ambiguity was key to nuclear brinkmanship.