See also: Patiently Squeezing Iran Don’t underestimate Iran’s geopolitical resources Now that Iran has officially begun violating the 2015 nuclear deal, it is more important than ever to remember who bears the bulk of the responsibility for the escalating tensions.  Many apologists for the regime and advocates for a return to the status quo would have you believe that Iran is the victim in all this.  They will argue that by pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) last year, the Trump administration set in motion a chain of events that made Iran's own withdrawal inevitable. But the root of the problem stretches back much further, and the Islamic Republic has chosen to avoid reconciliation at every turn. Anti-aircraft guns guard Iran's Natanz nuclear facility (photo credit: Hamed Saber). This comes as no surprise, but Tehran's predictably malign behavior does not justify conciliation or appeasement on the...(Read Full Post)