Attacks on Neighbors Show an Emboldened Iran Stepping out of the Shadows

Iran has long preferred to fight a shadow war by funding militant groups, which have intensified their attacks on U.S. troops in the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. But missile strikes last week in Syria, Iraq and Pakistan that were claimed by Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps came after its proxies inflicted damage on U.S. military positions at a relatively low cost to Tehran, analysts said.

“I’d say Iran’s leaders have been riding high,” said Jonathan Lord, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

The direct attacks most likely came from “a feeling of invincibility” as a result of recent successes by proxy groups, which could lead to miscalculation and overreach, Lord said.

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