Iran’s deterrence might have to go through ‘greater intensity’

Abbas Aslani of the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies says the latest escalation is “about restoring deterrence against additional attacks on the country”. “It looks like the United States wants to escalate in order to create leverage at the negotiating table to pressure Tehran to make concessions that they did not in the past,” he told Al Jazeera from the Iranian capital, Tehran. “And for Iran, this is also important because the previous response to the US attack was not enough to ensure that they will not attack Iran again,” Aslani said, adding: “That is why they might be escalating to de-escalate [the situation].”