Elimination of Soleimani Shows US Has Power of Deterrence
The killing of Quds Force leader Qassim Soleimani and its aftermath turned into a huge, misleading farce. In this farce an important sector of American public officials, media, and others fell into the trap of a public relations campaign orchestrated by the Islamic Republic. First, the elimination of Mr. Soleimani shows that the United States has power of deterrence and determination to fight its enemies; that it is not afraid of revenge, and that it would double down if necessary. In the case of Iran, the perception after the Iranian missile attacks against American bases in Baghdad was that many in the United States considered the attack legitimate in the face of U.S. “bad behavior” or “provocations” to use Pelosi’s own words. The second trap in which America fell was the general belief among key members of Congress and important sectors in the media that the killing of Soleimani rallied and unified the Iranian people around the regime. That is a huge farce. We should not be misled about Iran. Iran is not a legitimate regime and it is very much on the defense, terrified of regime change. Protests happened precisely because the regime is seen as negligent and reckless, which dismisses the argument that Soleimani turned into a catalyzer of national unity. Therefore, the challenge of a nuclear Iran is still a threat whose solution is highly uncertain.