With a Failed Show of Force and Hamas Degraded, Iran Now Puts all Chips Behind Hezbollah

Now, with Hamas degraded and their once vaunted ballistic missile program exposed to the world, Hezbollah and their growing capabilities become even more important to a growingly unpopular Iranian regime. The Mullahs, realizing their Shiite militia in Lebanon has far better capabilities to confirm Israel, will now put all chips on Hezbollah in an attempt to keep Israel away.

Why Deterrence Worked Against Iran but Not Hamas

Deterrence remains a potent force in international security against nation-states like Iran but fails against nonstate terrorist actors such as Hamas, who remain undeterred by traditional threats due to their suicidal ideology and elusive leadership.

Can the Israeli-Iranian Cold War Turn Hot?

For now, the regional conflict between Israel and Iran will be a tit-for-tat Cold War, primarily using Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian Territories as a battleground. Still, one costly direct action could ignite the Middle East and international community in a way not seen since the rhetoric of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.