Iranian Response May Aim to Avoid Pulling in U.S.

Iranian officials and lawmakers are warning of a withering Iranian retaliatory response against Israel but decision makers in Tehran may need to weigh up a major constraint: the desire to avoid actions that would bring the U.S. in alongside Israel. . . . [UANI Senior Advisor] Michael Singh, a former senior director for Middle East affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, said Washington needs to be careful what it signals to Iran. "It's vital that Iran be left uncertain what precisely could draw the U.S. into the conflict. Laying down our red lines too precisely could inadvertently embolden rather than deter Iran by signalling how far it can go. . . . The U.S. message to Iran should be ‘stand down’ rather than ‘don't hit us and we won't hit you.’”