Syria Strike Sends Clear Message to Iran

This week’s airstrike in Damascus against key Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) offic-ers is the starkest example of Israel’s increasingly impactful campaign to roll back Iran’s military presence in that country, degrade support for proxies on Israel’s northern front, and ultimately compel Hezbollah to curb attacks on Israel from Lebanon. Rather than repeat past mistakes by conspicuously distancing themselves from such actions and inviting Iranian retaliation, American officials should capitalize on Tehran’s limited appetite for escalation – and coerce it to further de-escalate aggression against Israeli and U.S. targets more broadly – by affirming support for Is-rael’s efforts and reinforcing their own readiness to impose costs directly on the IRGC.