The Trump Administration's pattern with Iran has been escalatory. From campaign rhetoric to pulling out of JCPOA to airstrikes following a contractor death to yesterday's attacks. This is what Iran and the region sees. This is the context in which they must be viewed.
We also must see how well prepared the Admin is for what is next. It does not look like allies were in the loop. It does not look like Congress was fully in the loop. That's worrisome in the extreme. If pre-attack inputs were solely from hawkish sources (Israel, Saudi?)...
that would also be unsettling and a tell. We need to know much more to put this in context. Further, of course, we don't know how Iran will react. They have promised a proportional response. What is that? What if they attacked a comparable US figure? Launched a cyber attack?
Attacked a US ally? All these factors are critical because the greatest risk here is lack of preparation and unintended consequences, they are the gasoline that so often are poured on foreign policy sparks and flames and lead to conflagrations.
Whether the Administration is prudent or not, the Congress & influential observers and our allies must be. Demand full briefings. Get the facts. Slow things down a bit. Get our bearings. Don't politicize this (as the president and his allies are doing with their chest thumping.)
The stakes are high here--for our allies, for the region, for the global economy, for the U.S. military and for our security overall. There are checks and balances that must be exercised to ensure that a reckless president does not trigger the worst of the Gulf Wars to date.
