Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s 12 point plan to force Iran into complying with normative international behavior is still driving the public discourse on the rogue regime’s nuclear ambitions. While the Europeans have fought to hold onto the JCPOA, the US has slammed harsh sanctions on Tehran giving the EU a choice – choose between Iranian oil or the US markets and financial institutions.
For Iran’s part they have not backed down. If anything they see Pompeo’s speech given at the Heritage Foundation on May 21st as a “declaration of war.” In usual Iranian parlance they have redoubled their efforts to strengthen their positions in Syria as well as ordering their Houthi proxy in Yemen to increase missile attacks..
For Israel, Iranian intransigence and its deepening hold on the southern areas of Syria pose the most dangerous threat. While Russia has appeared to sit back allowing Israel to roll back Iranian advancements, it still continues to provide advanced weaponry to Assad as well as allowing the Iranians to restock their forces in Syria.
Putin has masterfully pinned both Israel and Iran against each other in Syria allowing him to strengthen his holdings while ensuring the growing conflict between the Mullahs and Jerusalem keeps the USA’s focus off of his actions.
Will Jordan Fall to Iran?
Iranian and Hezbollah troops in southern Syria are not only becoming a threat to Israel, but are in a position to harm Jordan. While there are significant US troops by the Yarmuk, they will be over matched by Hezbollah and Iran, if Putin decided to provide air support for any attacks the group may need to carry out cross border attacks in the fragile Hashemite kingdom.
Expect protests by Palestinians to continue against the King at the same time the kingdom faces an external threat from Iran.
Clash Between USA and Iran Inevitable
Anyone who believed that Iran would learn from new USA sanctions is missing the point on why the Trump administration pulled out of the JCPOA. The Trump team determined it is far better to face a weaker Iran now than a regional powerhouse with nuclear capabilities in a few years. Trump’s team like many clear-sighted people understand that the Iranian regime will not change. Afterall the Mullahs are set on conquest. It is part of their ideology and religious belief set. The Iranian leaders will not stop being a menace to global security unless they are removed.
Syria is now ground zero for the coming war between the USA and Iran.