“Iran jails Mahsa Amini uncle for over five years: rights groups,” AFP, 2-13-24.

“Iran is playing a long game, and Washington is losing,” The Hill, 2-13-23.  “Deterrence is not a matter of force, but of will. For deterrence to work, an adversary must believe that the U.S. has the will to strike at his interests. In Iran’s case, regime survival is the greatest interest. The clerics in Tehran will only back down if they believe an American attack places their power at risk. Ahead of the most recent strikes, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby repeated that the U.S. seeks to avoid war with Iran — a clear message that the U.S. has no interest in threatening the regime in Tehran. This inherently contradicts any effort at deterrence. American airstrikes in Iraq and Syria in exchange for free shots against American bases is a tradeoff that Iran is willing to accept. By targeting a militia leader in Baghdad in response to attacks on U.S. troops, the U.S. essentially exchanged a slap on the wrist for the loss of American lives. This pattern of response only encourages Iran and its proxies, reinforcing the perception that they can act with impunity. To effectively deter Iran and its proxies, the U.S. must adopt a more proactive and comprehensive strategy, inclusive of targeting Iranian assets directly, imposing meaningful costs for aggression and signaling a willingness to escalate if necessary. The time for half-measures is over; the U.S. must take the required steps to confront Iran’s malign activities and secure a more stable and peaceful future for the region.”

“Iran’s IRGC fires long-range ballistic missile from cruiser: commander,” Xinhua, 2-13-24.