Iran will continue to taunt Joe Biden and America, because it knows Washinton doesn’t want another war in the Middle East, according to an expert.
US President Joe Biden has vowed to respond after Iranian-backed terrorists killed three American troops in Jordan with a drone strike.
Iran has been at the centre of tensions in the Middle East after Hamas – funded by Tehran – killed 1,200 Israeli civilians in a brutal and unprecedented terror attack on October 7.
The Houthi Rebels in Yemen, also supported by Iran, have caused chaos in the Red Sea as they attack commercial shipping in what they claim is a protest of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
As Iran continues to stoke tensions, there is a growing chorus of politicians and analysts calling for the US to strike Iran directly.
READ MORE: Iran’s economy crumbling under the pressure as fears of conflict with US grow
Kasra Aarabi, Director of IRGC Research at United Against Nuclear Iran, told The Sun that Iran “knows” the US does not want to attack Tehran directly, something that has emboldened their proxies in the Middle East.
He said: “The IRGC believes that the US has zero appetite to impose direct consequences on it, and that’s what’s pushing this drive for escalation since October 7th.
“It believes it can get away with these attacks without facing any direct consequences. At most, they believe the US might hit their proxy forces, but they don’t mind using those proxy forces as cannon fodder.”
Mr Arabi added that the US must inflict “direct consequences” on Iran.
He continued: “The US must use this moment to impose direct consequences on the Revolutionary Guard inside of Iran and also rally its allies Britain, France, and Germany to impose maximum economic pressure against the regime and create a coalition of allies that are prepared to deter the Islamic Republic.
“Because if the Islamic Republic believes no consequences will be imposed, this escalation will continue. Failing to act will lead to more, not less, escalation and increases the chance of a greater war.”
Speaking to the same outlet, former British Army commander Colonel Richard Kemp also called for Biden to hit Iran directly.
He said: “The attacks against US forces in Jordan are a major new escalation because although there have been something like 160 attacks against US forces by Iranian proxies in the last two or three months, this is the first time that we’ve seen three Americans killed.
“The Americans must respond in a decisive way. It’s not good enough just for the Americans to respond against Iranian proxies, now they must respond against Iran itself.”
He added: “Iran needs to be taught a very strong lesson about America’s deterrence. It needs to be a hit on IRGC positions, bases, and individuals resulting in severe destruction and death to Iranian terrorists who have been responsible for these attacks.
“And we’re not really talking necessarily about an equivalent number. I think, if anything, the US should be looking at a more significant attack than the Iranians carried out over the weekend.”
