Now that U.S. President Donald Trump has officially withdrawn the United States from the Iran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the world has to figure out how to live with that decision. Strategic reappraisals are taking place in Tehran, Europe and, most importantly, Moscow.
There are only two leaders who are happier now than they were before Trump's announcement: One is Trump himself; the other is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ("Bibi") Netanyahu. Tearing up the Iran deal was Trump's call, but it would not have happened without Netanyahu's stubborn willingness to stand up to the world — and especially Israel's own generally hawkish security experts.
The prevailing view among Israeli security experts remains one of pragmatic opposition to scrapping the deal. But Netanyahu rejects that view as accepting an unstable status quo when more radical action could achieve lasting change that would enhance Israeli and global security. Bibi may just be right.
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