Iran Won’t Be Satisfied by Iraq Missile Attacks
It would be a mistake to see Tuesday night’s strikes as a letting off of steam by Tehran. They will do little to slake Ali Khamenei’s bloodlust.
What price Iraqi sovereignty?
Photographer: Anadolu Agency/AnadoluThere’s a temptation to characterize the Iranian missile attacks on an Iraqi base on Tuesday night as a letting off of steam by the Islamic Republic — a shot across the American bow, after which the two sides can begin to parley. It’s being suggested that, if President Donald Trump restrains himself from tit-for-tat action, the tensions raised by the killing of Qassem Soleimani might begin to ease.
Color me skeptical. The regime in Tehran, having whipped itself into a hysteria over the assassination, is unlikely to satisfy itself with a mere volley of missiles; and the fact that no Americans were killed will do little to slake Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s bloodlust.