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Source: https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/.premium-america-must-not-back-down-against-iran-1.7223915
America Must Not Back Down Against Iran
(Ha'aretz) Dr. Emily B. Landau - The effects of America's maximum pressure campaign are being felt acutely in Iran, and it is desperately trying to find a way to push back. Iran is issuing military threats against U.S. interests and threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. This is not the first time Iran has issued threats. It is the language Iran always uses to try to pressure and intimidate the other side - a sign of desperate posturing. These events are just the latest episode in the ongoing saga of confronting Iran's illicit nuclear weapons aspirations, confirmed beyond doubt by the nuclear archives extracted from Tehran in January 2018. Iran blatantly violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by working on a nuclear weapons program, and deceived the IAEA for years. The U.S. is responding to Iran's threats, and aggressive regional and bad-faith behavior. The U.S. and Europe should be firm and not allow Iran to dictate terms to the international community. Firm U.S. counter threats, including a demonstration of force by bringing military force to the Gulf, are necessary in order to deter Iran from any thoughts of initiating military action. The writer is a senior research fellow at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and head of its Arms Control and Regional Security Program.