It’s Christmas Eve.  And lest you think that Iran is going off into the sunset, read on from the Atlantic Council.  “Iran’s regional strategy has long relied on a layered deterrence model built around proxies, long-range fires, and ambiguity rather than direct state-to-state confrontation. This model seeks to impose cumulative costs on adversaries while insulating Iran from direct retaliation. According to repeated assessments by the US Department of Defense and the United Nations, Iran maintains the largest and most diverse missile force in the Middle East and continues to invest in survivability, underground basing, and production capacity. These capabilities are complemented by Iran-aligned armed groups operating across Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.”  See “The Middle East is on the brink of a new crisis. Here’s where it could start,” Dispatches, 12-24-25.  Here’s more food for thought, and why the U.S. should pay attention to Iraq–“Simultaneously, escalation elsewhere has historically coincided with increased activity by Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, including rocket and drone attacks on US and coalition facilities. These pathways are not theoretical. They reflect repeated patterns observed over the past decade, now compressed by explicit timelines, rearmament efforts, and eroding deterrence.”  Finally, some say the U.S. has its eye off the ball by surrounding Maduro in VENZ–but that action is also pointed at Iran and the dark economy.

“[W]e do not care what he has to say.”  After winning motorcycle and scooter freedoms because so many women ride them, disobeying the Supreme Leader en masse is the way to go.  See “‘There’s no going back’: Iran’s women on why they won’t stop flouting dress code laws,” Guardian, 12-24-25.

“Iran rejects inspections of bombed nuclear sites without IAEA framework,” Al Jazeera, 12-24-25.

Surprised?  Shouldn’t be.  “Khamenei gives green light to compact nuclear warheads – report,” Iran International, 12-24-25.  Per the report from the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, “The only true deterrent that could save the Iranian regime in the event of a conflict against Israel and its US allies would be nuclear weapons.”

“Iran rejects inspections of bombed nuclear sites until IAEA defines ‘post-war conditions’,” 12-24-25.

“Iran rejects inspection of bombed sites, demands IAEA clarify stance,” Xinhua, 12-24-25.