US Deterrence Depends on Credibility

One problem with US deterrence vis-a-vis Iran is the ambiguity surrounding the question as to who will take out Iran’s nuclear weapon’s program. If Israel isn’t convinced that America will take part, then who can blame Iran for not believing America? Why is not Israel convinced that America will act militarily to neutralize the IranianContinue reading “US Deterrence Depends on Credibility”

Strategic Dialogue is Required

There are certain issues regarding Iran where the US and Israel do not show each other their respective cards. That may likely include the point when they consider it necessary to strike the Iranian nuclear program. They should show each other their cards. Washington and Jerusalem is like a couple who are lying to eachContinue reading “Strategic Dialogue is Required”

A Joint Iran Operation is a Shared US-Israeli Interest

The US is able to deter Iran, i.e. temporarily so, but it has to be sustained over time in order to ensure homeland security from the threat of Iranian biological terrorism against major American cities. The US is right to pursue military integration with Israel as this bolsters US deterrence vis-a-vis Iran. However, this requiresContinue reading “A Joint Iran Operation is a Shared US-Israeli Interest”

Why the USAF Should Participate in the Northern War

There is a strong case for the US Air Force participating on Israel’s side in the Northern War without putting a single boot on the ground. For Israel is the Northern War an existential matter as it is a war of no choice, it will indeed be fought as it is only a matter ofContinue reading “Why the USAF Should Participate in the Northern War”

The US Must Make a Strategic Decision

The US cannot be everywhere and must prioritize. However, Russia, China and Iran must all be contained separately. The goal must be to prevent war and if this fails – to win war. Regarding Russia must the goal be to defeat Russia, kick it out of Ukraine and then woo it to integrate into theContinue reading “The US Must Make a Strategic Decision”

A Joint Iran Operation is Pivotal for American Deterrence

The first lesson from Ramadan this year is that Israel does not control the pulse in the Levant, Iran does. What is the strategic reality in terms of deterrence? Israel does not believe that Iran will dare use chemical weapons against the Jewish state or Israel would be distributing gas masks, thus Israeli non-conventional deterrenceContinue reading “A Joint Iran Operation is Pivotal for American Deterrence”

Learn From the Past

When Israel under US pressure rerouted the Jerusalem Day Flag Parade it led to war with Hamas in Gaza; whenever the regular route was followed there was no war. Rerouting the Flag Parade is extremely dangerous because it is perceived as a victory for terrorism and as such it encourages terrorism and therefore may leadContinue reading “Learn From the Past”

Deterring Iran is Imperative

The foreign policy of the Biden administration is improving over time as it is becoming increasingly hawkish. For a long time was America under President Joe Biden perceived by its foreign adversaries as ”weak”, yet no longer so. Openly sending a nuclear-armed submarine to the Persian Gulf was the right thing to do and immediatelyContinue reading “Deterring Iran is Imperative”

Perceived Weakness Invites Iranian Axis to Attack

The Israeli de-escalation effort in response to the 34 Hamas rockets from Lebanon was apparently coordinated with the United States and while it could be argued that it was tactically successful, it is sending the message that Israel and the United States are weak and can be attacked and destroyed. This is not only underminingContinue reading “Perceived Weakness Invites Iranian Axis to Attack”

The Iranian Axis is an Integrated Command Structure

The Hamas attack against Israel from Lebanon involving 34 rockets as well as mortars was deliberate, calculated and fully coordinated with the entire Iranian Axis, including of course with the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It is important that the international community understands that this was not ”merely” a Hamas attack against Israel from Lebanon butContinue reading “The Iranian Axis is an Integrated Command Structure”

What is President Biden Afraid Of?

Ukraine has been sufficiently armed to defend itself but not liberate its occupied territories. That’s the painful reality that Ukrainians are facing. Yet, President Biden and many of his European allies are still apparently entertaining some Russian propaganda delusions that sufficiently arming Ukraine would have ”dangerous consequences”. The question is who is deterring whom? CurrentlyContinue reading “What is President Biden Afraid Of?”

The Moment of Truth

President Biden has many times publicly vowed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arms. Attacking Iran may be a difficult decision to make for the American president, but it is far more dangerous for America not to participate in an attack than to participate. Why is this so? Because showing weakness is profoundly dangerous inContinue reading “The Moment of Truth”

Israel Borders Iran

What we are witnessing is truly surreal. It is becoming ever more clear that Lebanon has ceased to exist as an independent nation and is now merely an Iranian protectorate. Iran is currently carrying out two faux negotiation processes with its two archenemies, Israel and the United States, through proxies. The negotiation process with IsraelContinue reading “Israel Borders Iran”

How Iran is Instigating War

Why would Iran want a war in the Levant now? This is an excellent question that requires some elaboration. Iran is moderately convinced that Israel and America are deterred by Iranian weapons of mass destruction and will not dare to destroy the Iranian nuclear weapons program. However, Tehran is less certain when it comes toContinue reading “How Iran is Instigating War”

The US and Israel are both Wrong on Iran Diplomacy

Washington still clings to the illusion that Tehran is interested in returning to the JCPOA and would ultimately do so. Jerusalem clings to a similar illusion in believing that it is possible to deter Iran in claiming that if Tehran was presented with a credible military deterrence that would threaten its survival (i.e. a no-flyContinue reading “The US and Israel are both Wrong on Iran Diplomacy”

The US Needs a Deterrence Strategy Against Iran

There is no question that in the long term China poses the greatest strategic challenge to US interests worldwide, but in the short term, Iran is the greatest threat to the American homeland. The threat of Iran attacking America with biological weapons brought to America’s coastlines with Iranian submarines and deployed after America and IsraelContinue reading “The US Needs a Deterrence Strategy Against Iran”

Iran Poses a Greater Threat to the US than to Israel

America’s adversaries, including Iran, fear Republican administrations but certainly not Democratic administrations. Why is this so? Democratic administrations are more concerned about human rights while Republican administrations are more concerned about realpolitik. The real question is therefore whether the Iranian nuclear weapons program will be destroyed under the current Democratic administration or under the nextContinue reading “Iran Poses a Greater Threat to the US than to Israel”

It’s in Washington’s Interest to Arm Riyadh

Saudi Arabia is the largest destination for US weapons exports with some 25% of all US defense exports going to the KSA. The Biden administration has however limited weapons exports to Riyadh, leaving the Saudis little choice but to purchase Chinese or Russian arms. This is an illogical policy which harms American jobs but furthermoreContinue reading “It’s in Washington’s Interest to Arm Riyadh”

Nothing Except Military Action Will Stop Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program

There was a disagreement during the meeting in Israel between President Biden and Prime Minister Lapid on the question of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Prime Minister Lapid insisted that only deterrence would persuade Iran to sign a nuclear agreement while President Biden insisted that diplomacy was still the best way forward. Both are wrong sinceContinue reading “Nothing Except Military Action Will Stop Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program”

Can Iran’s Apocalyptic Scheme be Thwarted?

If Iran did not believe that Iranian territorial control over the Twelver eschatological region was essential for the success of the planned Khomeinist man-made apocalypse as intended to prompt the reappearance of the Hidden Imam in Mecca, then surely Iran would not be so geostrategically obsessed with taking control over this region where the threeContinue reading “Can Iran’s Apocalyptic Scheme be Thwarted?”

The Saudis are No Suckers

The US-Saudi relationship was always based on oil in return for security. There were those Americans who lately mistakenly presumed that the United States no longer needed Saudi Arabia. This is wrong. The US will need the KSA as a staging ground for any military action against Iran after Tehran lashes out against the outsideContinue reading “The Saudis are No Suckers”

The US Must Learn From Ukraine War How to Prevent War in the Middle East

Why are Finland and Sweden suddenly applying for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization? They understand the simple truth that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would never have occurred had Ukraine already been a member of NATO. NATO is not primarily an organization for waging war but above all an organization for preventing warContinue reading “The US Must Learn From Ukraine War How to Prevent War in the Middle East”

Strategic Deterrence will Fail

“We have told the world we are not willing to take it anymore,” he said. “Iran says we can bring the war to your doorstep, because you will never bring it to ours. This is not going to happen. This is not how it’s going to play. I understand why they felt that this isContinue reading “Strategic Deterrence will Fail”

Russia’s Successful Nuclear Deterrence

Under what conditions would Russia be willing to use tactical nuclear weapons? It is important to understand that nuclear weapons are mainly psychological weapons. They are meant for psychological deterrence, mainly not to be used, as using strategic nuclear weapons is out of question in Europe. This surely opens the question under what circumstances andContinue reading “Russia’s Successful Nuclear Deterrence”

Inside the Khomeinist Mind

The Iranian regime openly states that its overarching geostrategic goal is to prompt the reappearance of the Hidden Imam. Yet academic experts and intelligence analysts do tend to not pay attention to the religious dimension of Iranian decision making. Khomeinism is unique in the sense as being the only form of Islamism that is apocalypticContinue reading “Inside the Khomeinist Mind”

Biden Should put his Money Where his Mouth Is

US president Joe Biden has accused Russia of committing genocide in Ukraine with the caveat that legal experts will have to ultimately determine whether the situation actually legally constitutes genocide. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Biden’s statement but pointed out that Ukraine urgently needs delivery of heavy weapons. One may surely wonder why NATO nationsContinue reading “Biden Should put his Money Where his Mouth Is”

Khomeinism and Iranian Foreign Policy

Ayatollah Khomeini introduced a governing principle according to which Iranian national interests take precedence over sharia. This may seem surprising for an Islamist theocratic regime but can be observed in Iranian foreign policy for various parts of the world. Iran is completely silent on China’s Han colonization of Xinjiang and totalitarian policies of coerced assimilationContinue reading “Khomeinism and Iranian Foreign Policy”

The Aman Conceptzia

There is a dispute within Aman (Israeli military intelligence) regarding the intentions of Hezbollah. Is Hezbollah an Iranian proxy or is it a Lebanese patriotic organization? Is Hezbollah primarily interested in taking over Israel or taking over Lebanon? Of course, Hezbollah is run by one man, Hassan Nasrallah who makes all important decisions and althoughContinue reading “The Aman Conceptzia”

A President Who Fears WWIII Will Get Exactly That

President Joe Biden is on the record of admitting that he is afraid of WWIII with Russia. This is just one more example in a long line of statements by the Biden administration (usually not by President Biden himself) that reinforce the international impression of the Biden administration as “weak”. For an American president toContinue reading “A President Who Fears WWIII Will Get Exactly That”

A Grand Bargain for Peace

Contrary to what Moscow claims, Russia’s military buildup against Ukraine has nothing to do with a perceived threat from NATO and in contrast has everything to do with China. This obviously requires some explanation. Russia is infamous for its propaganda and disinformation and has long disingenuously claimed that NATO (a purely defensive organization) has offensiveContinue reading “A Grand Bargain for Peace”

Master Tacticians, Strategic Lunatics

Iran is tactically brilliant in always seeing opportunities to expand its influence but it must be kept in mind that it is strategically lunatic in seeking world rule for the Hidden Imam as its ultimate strategic goal. Hezbollah’s intentions have been much debated within the Israeli intelligence community. What is Hezbollah? Hezbollah is a franchiseContinue reading “Master Tacticians, Strategic Lunatics”

The Death of the Liberal World Order

The US project of imposing a liberal world order has a long pedigree going back to US president Woodrow Wilson a century ago. The pro-democracy efforts by US President George W. Bush resulted in the Arab spring years later but failed to establish liberal democracy other than in Tunisia where it did not last. WithContinue reading “The Death of the Liberal World Order”

The Biden Administration has a Communication Problem

Why is the Biden administration so widely perceived as “weak”? It began with Donald Trump labeling Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe” in 2020. Republicans subsequently came to widely characterize Joe Biden as “weak”. Then came the disastrous collapse in Afghanistan and the chaotic American pullout which left hundreds of thousands behind who urgently needed toContinue reading “The Biden Administration has a Communication Problem”

The American Desperation

The JCPOA is inching towards collapse as the definite burial of the JCPOA is only days away. The US sanctions on the Iranian civilian nuclear program were lifted as a desperate goodwill gesture to the Khomeinist regime to show them that the American government is acting in good faith. America faces a dark future asContinue reading “The American Desperation”

How Iran Interprets America’s Eagerness to Return to the JCPOA

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein How does Tehran perceive American eagerness to return to the JCPOA and Rob Malley’s desperate appeasement negotiations tactics in Vienna? The Iranian impression is that the White House greatly fears Iran and that Iranian biological weapons terrorist deterrence vis-a-visContinue reading “How Iran Interprets America’s Eagerness to Return to the JCPOA”

Biden’s Ukraine Policy Harms US Interests

Why is it that the US government has a Ukraine policy that it does not believe will be effective? On the one hand does the US threaten Russia with severe economic sanctions and on other hand does the US predict that there is a high likelihood of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the sameContinue reading “Biden’s Ukraine Policy Harms US Interests”

Tehran’s Intention to “Annihilate America”

On January 4, 2022; Ali Fadavi, the deputy head of the IRGC explicitly threatened on Hezbollah’s al-Manar television station to “annihilate America”. The threat of extermination has long been reserved for the “Small Satan” and now Iran reveals that it plans to exterminate the “Great Satan” as well. Is this a serious threat or isContinue reading “Tehran’s Intention to “Annihilate America””

The US Must Clarify on Disengagement from Islamdom

The US suffers from a global credibility deficit. America’s adversaries no longer fear the United States and Middle Eastern allies of the United States are all convinced that the US intends to disengage from Islamdom, yet the US denies this. Iran calculates that in the event of the US and Israel destroying the Iranian nuclearContinue reading “The US Must Clarify on Disengagement from Islamdom”

Chemical Genocide

Iranian officials constantly repeat their intention to “annihilate Israel” and say that “Israel will be destroyed” if it attacks the Iranian nuclear weapons program. What does the regime mean? They are referring to the mass use of chemical weapons against Israeli cities. Iran is convinced that Israel and the United States are bluffing and thatContinue reading “Chemical Genocide”

Russia Deters America in Ukraine

Why is America not admitting Ukraine to NATO and putting an end to the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine? The US should militarily deter Russia from invading Ukraine yet it is the US that has ended up deterred by Russia. The Biden administration wields the threat of economic sanctions against Russia despite PresidentContinue reading “Russia Deters America in Ukraine”

The US Perception, Credibility and Deterrence Problem

The US has a problem with credibility and thus also with deterrence. This is largely a perception problem based on the erroneous view that the current US administration is afraid of war. However, the Biden administration does not seem to understand that the position of the US as regards one region affects US credibility inContinue reading “The US Perception, Credibility and Deterrence Problem”

NATO Must Stand with Ukraine

Russia continues its buildup of forces alongside the border with Ukraine. This is the test of the success of US deterrence. If US economic deterrence were successful would Russia surely discontinue its military buildup near Ukraine. US intelligence has provided proof that Russia plans false flag operations in the rebel regions of eastern Ukraine asContinue reading “NATO Must Stand with Ukraine”

The US is Resigned to Coming Iranian WMD Attacks

The Biden administration’s decision to blame the former Trump administration for the impending collapse of the Vienna talks is indicative of a sense of resignation in the US administration over the prospects of Iranian WMD terrorist attacks against the American homeland. This is understandable, Iranian chemical and potentially biological weapons terrorist attacks against major AmericanContinue reading “The US is Resigned to Coming Iranian WMD Attacks”

Tehran’s Confidence in Terrorist Deterrence

Iran has expressed the assessment that Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett’s new policy of avoiding publicly threatening Iran and instead focusing on building Israel’s defensive and offensive capabilities vis-a-vis Iran and its proxies is evidence that Iran has succeeded in deterring Israel. The Iranian representative claimed that Iran has an effective deterrence capacity against “emptyContinue reading “Tehran’s Confidence in Terrorist Deterrence”

Iranian Fears

Zohar Palti, the head of the Political-Military Bureau of the Israeli Ministry of Defense and former head of the Mossad Research Department recently pointed out that Iran is no longer afraid and that there is no deterrent against Iran advancing its nuclear weapons program. What then are the implications of Iranian fears? Is it possibleContinue reading “Iranian Fears”

Apocalyptic Iran

Iran’s main designated adversaries are the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia. The notion of the United States as an implacable enemy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on Islamist Anti-Semitic conspiracy theory according to which the US is the center of the “Jewish conspiracy” to destroy Islam. The notion of Jews andContinue reading “Apocalyptic Iran”

Neutrality on Iran is in no One’s Interest

The JCPOA is brain-dead and it is only a matter of weeks until it will be fully dead and buried. The reason is that Iran correctly assesses that returning to compliance with the JCPOA and/or reaching a nuclear agreement with the United States are not conducive to the nuclear and economic interests of the KhomeinistContinue reading “Neutrality on Iran is in no One’s Interest”

Will Iran Launch a Surprise Assault?

Iran is well aware that it will be attacked but due to its belief in divine patronage does Tehran not believe that any of the insurrections will succeed after the US-led international coalition imposes a no-fly zone over Iran and provides air support to armed rebellions throughout the country. However, this does not mean thatContinue reading “Will Iran Launch a Surprise Assault?”

The Art of Building Deterrence

One year of failed appeasement policy has completely destroyed US deterrence against Iran. The notion that this can be repaired by issuing a few threats is preposterous. Public issuance of threatening statements has its place in a comprehensive deterrence posture but are on their own entirely insufficient in rebuilding America’s deterrence against Iran. Iran shouldContinue reading “The Art of Building Deterrence”

Endless Negotiations are Back on the Table

An interview with US Iran envoy Rob Malley on CNN informs us that the Malley doctrine of endless negotiations is back and the Blinken doctrine of opposition to endless negotiations is dead, or at least so far the moment. Malley, the notorious appeaser of Islamists, is convinced that Iran is advancing its hugely expensive nuclearContinue reading “Endless Negotiations are Back on the Table”