How the Return of Iranian-Backed Militias From Syria Complicates U.S. Strategy

Candace Rondeaux wrote an article for World Politics Review on Iran's proxy war strategy vis-à-vis the Afghan Liwa Fatemiyoun.

In the high-stakes game between Tehran and Washington, it is often hard to tell who is really bluffing. This week, President Donald Trump threatened that a war would be “the official end of Iran,” responding in part to reports that Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, had urged leaders of Iranian-backed militias across the Middle East to “prepare for proxy war.” For those counting cards, however, Iran may already have tipped its hand.