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Iran Trying to Divert Focus from Anti-Iranian Demonstrations in Iraq
(JNS) Yaakov Lappin - "The Shi'ite militias and Iran are trying to divert the focus from the anti-Iranian sentiment of the demonstrations [in Iraq] that have occurred over the past two months and turn the rage in the direction of the United States," said Col. (res.) Udi Evental, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. Evental was formerly head of the Strategic Planning Unit of the Political-Military and Policy Bureau of the Israeli Ministry of Defense. However, Iran's chances of succeeding are low since the demonstrations have been occurring for two months, and some of the 400 Iraqis killed while protesting were shot by militias under the command of the Iranian Quds Force. "Strategically, the Iranians aren't deterred" by the airstrikes on Kataib Hezbollah. "Iran will tell itself, 'If they hit our proxies but not us, we can continue to operate by proxy,'" said Evental. He said America needs to decide whether the next time it comes under militia attack, it will hit Iranian targets directly instead of making do with striking Iran's proxies.