In a parallel world, not so very far back in time, the question “What will Iran do to retaliate?” would strike fear into the hearts of the Islamic Republic’s many adversaries.
No longer. Tehran’s relatively muted response to the unprecedented direct American assault on their nuclear labs shows just how limited Iran’s options actually are. Lobbing a fairly limited number of missiles at US bases in the region, well signalled in advance for the Americans to get personnel and equipment out of harm’s way, was almost performative. Tense as it feels, Iran clearly doesn’t want to escalate the conflict, and may not even have the strength to do so. Iran is no longer the force it was when it was thought to be the match of Israel and, in the region, the United States.
