Posted on 06/18/2025 7:35:54 AM PDT by Racketeer
A few years ago, the sudden, near-simultaneous killing of Bagheri, Salami, and a host of other senior leaders would have been unthinkable. Over three decades, the hard-liners who control Iran’s regime had built up what seemed like a formidable system of deterrence. They stockpiled ballistic missiles. They developed and advanced a nuclear enrichment program. Most important, they established a network of foreign proxies that could routinely harass Israeli and U.S. forces.
But Iran’s hard-liners overplayed their hand. After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, the regime’s leaders opted for a campaign of maximum aggression. Rather than letting Hamas and Israel fight it out, they unleashed their proxies at Israeli targets. Israel, in turn, was compelled to expand its offensive beyond Gaza. It succeeded in severely degrading Hezbollah, the most powerful of Tehran’s proxy groups, and eviscerating Iranian positions in Syria—indirectly contributing to the collapse of the Assad regime. Iran responded to this aggression by unleashing the two largest ballistic missile attacks ever launched against Israel.
With that, the foundation of Iran’s deterrence strategy crumbled. Its ruling regime became more vulnerable and exposed than at any point since the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. And Israel, which has dreamed of striking Iran for decades, had an opportunity it decided it could not pass up.
In October 2023, the Islamic Republic was peaking. It exerted heavy influence over a wide swath of land, from Iraq to the Mediterranean. It had bullied neighboring Arab rivals, namely Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, into submission.
Yet within a few short months, Iran’s regional framework all but collapsed. Israeli military offensives eviscerated Hamas in Gaza and devastated Hezbollah in Lebanon—key nodes in Iran’s decades-long pressure campaign against Israel. Then came the surprising fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, in December.
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignaffairs.com ...
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I’m no insider nor an expert but it seems to me America second USA Neocons caused the squandering of much of America in wars not in our interest. And covered up for stupid politicians that refused to secure America. Now we are back at it.
The fat lady. She has not yet sung, yes?
I agree our MIC is a “for profit” consortium of industry, politicians, and off shore trusts. However, Israel is not fighting Iran for profit but for survival. This is why it will end so quickly. Have you noticed how quiet the other Arabic nations are right now?
Trumps Middle East tour took care of that.
Just an FYI, the “other arab” nations are not quiet. First of all, Iran is not Arab, but beyond that the Saudi foreign ministry announced “now is the time for Islamic brotherhood to assert itself and condemn Israel’s aggression”.
Our media managed to not cover that.
Not et, but she’s warming up.
Not yet, but she’s warming up.
“ Have you noticed how quiet the other Arabic nations are right now?”
The smartest thing that can happen right now is Hamas releasing the rest of the hostages and getting out of dodge while they still can.
Experiencing the terror you’ve been inflicting.
Sweet.
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