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Experts View U.S.-Iran Tensions
(Ha'aretz) Amir Tibon - The attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad was an Iranian initiative and not a local protest, Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Ha'aretz. "This is telegraphed from Iran, straight out of the regime's playbook. The regime wants to spook America. They hope to either get Trump to agree to negotiations, or, even better, to get America to withdraw forces and send a message of retreat. They would be happy to solidify the impression that America is getting out of the Middle East, whether it's in Syria or Iraq. They are willing to take risks to make that happen." Ben Taleblu says Sunday's U.S. airstrikes were "very important" because they sent the opposite message: that the United States would not ignore Iran's actions. Michael Doran, a former Middle East director at the U.S. National Security Council and currently a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said it would be a "grave mistake" if the U.S. agreed to negotiations with Iran. "The protests that swept Iran, Iraq and Lebanon in November have changed the balance of power. Iran is experiencing unprecedented difficulty at home and abroad. If Trump were to sit with Iran now, he would look weak in the region, demoralize allies and give breathing room to Tehran."