Iran's Forever Leverage

- Over the past two decades, Iran has built a network of proxy militias (Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas/PIJ in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq, and militias in Syria) and invested heavily in missile/drone production. This strategy is often called the "Axis of Resistance" and allows Iran to project power and threaten Israel and US allies without directly engaging in a conventional war. - The Biden administration pursued a policy of de-escalation and informal detente with Iran, even after Iran's proxy attacks on US troops and its nuclear advances. Critics argue this gave Iran a "forever leverage" — the ability to escalate anytime because the US has no credible military or economic threat to force de-escalation. - The core dilemma: Iran's proxies can keep fighting indefinitely even if Iran's own infrastructure is hit; the US and Israel can't destroy the proxy networks without invading and occupying multiple countries; and Iran has no reason to restrain its proxies if it faces no consequences for escalation. This creates a strategic trap where Iran never has to negotiate in good faith because it can always raise the cost of non-compliance.