Iran signaled it was ready to resume nuclear negotiations but the Biden administration wanted a “longer and stronger deal” that would update the 2015 deal to extend key nuclear restrictions for a longer period; impose stronger limits on Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities; and address issues not covered in the original JCPOA, such as ballistic missiles or Iran’s support for its allies. Greg Priddy of the Center for the National Interest notes U.S. air and missile strikes are “not suited to degrading the main pillar of regime cohesion, which is the rank and file units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij [militia].” Though Trump claimed Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated,” he may reattack the surviving nuclear facilities and the “missile cities” that are in all provinces of Iran. A limited Iranian retaliation may be against the U.S. troops based in Iraqi Kurdistan, and that will serve two purposes: strike the Americans, and discipline the Kurdish leaders who may have been aware of the attempted infiltration of Iran by Kurdish separatist forces from Iraq in the early days of the protests.
Author: James Durso
Published at: 2026-01-26 22:00:00
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