June 14, 2026 | The Jerusalem Post
A nuclear deal won’t solve Iran’s missiles, proxies, and repression
A narrow agreement may ease immediate tensions, but Tehran’s missiles, proxies, repression, and strategy of escalation remain the larger threat
June 14, 2026 | The Jerusalem Post
A nuclear deal won’t solve Iran’s missiles, proxies, and repression
A narrow agreement may ease immediate tensions, but Tehran’s missiles, proxies, repression, and strategy of escalation remain the larger threat
Excerpt
Tehran’s preferred negotiating tactic has long been escalation. While talks have been underway with the United States, the Islamic Republic downed a US Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz and launched missiles at Israel from Iranian territory in defense of Hezbollah.
The new provocation is the first case of Iran striking Israel directly on behalf of a proxy and signals a new national security doctrine for the Islamic Republic. It’s uncertain how it will affect negotiations, accounts of which have not been promising.
Janatan Sayeh is the Iran analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s regional malign influence.