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Iran's Embrace of Missile Attacks on Foreign Targets
(National Interest) Behnam Ben Taleblu - On March 13, 2022, Iran launched 10-12 short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from its territory against an alleged Israeli facility near the U.S. consulate in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan - the fifth operation in recent history launched from Iranian territory against a foreign target, employing ballistic missiles, and attributed to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). This is likely to feature in future Iranian military operations. Iran fired 16 SRBMs at bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq in January 2020. 39 American servicepersons received purple hearts for traumatic brain injuries. The U.S. media reported the strike as the "largest ballistic missile attack against Americans ever." Tehran has been busy making qualitative improvements to increase the range, accuracy, reliability, and survivability of its missile forces. At the same time, officials in Tehran increasingly perceive American resolve to use force to counter Iran or Iran-backed attacks as declining. The writer is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).