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Source: https://jiss.org.il/en/kuperwasser-whats-next-for-iran-and-the-middle-east/
What's Next for Iran and the Middle East?
(Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security) Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser - Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran have badly damaged the country's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile program, and air defenses. The Iranian nuclear threat has essentially been sidelined in the short term - as a result of the destruction of its nuclear facilities and raw material - and in the long term, as there's no longer any question as to whether Iran would face a credible military threat from both Israel and the U.S. if it attempted to rebuild. Iran's role as the chief exporter of fundamentalist terrorism has been weakened too. Israel and the U.S. have shown they're aligned on the importance of using force if needed, even without the support of other countries. They've also shown the Iranian people that the regime's costly projects could be challenged. The next step now is for leaders around the world to build on this momentum and push for a nuclear deal with a much-weakened Tehran. A deal where Iran agrees to stop pursuing a nuclear program in exchange for the gradual lifting of sanctions, and any Iranian commitments are carefully monitored to make sure it doesn't resume its efforts to become a nuclear state. The writer, former head of the research division of IDF military intelligence, heads JISS.