March 26, 2023
A U.S. contractor was
killed last week when Iranian-backed militants in Iraq launched a lethal drone
attack targeted a U.S. base in northeast Syria. This latest provocation
reiterates Tehran’s disinterest in gaining favor with the U.S. ahead of the
potential for revived nuclear negotiations in Vienna. Ever since the U.S. and
Iran began “seriously” participating in efforts to reinstate the 2015 Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2021, Iran has escalated hostile acts
across the Middle East as well as on U.S. soil.
