Until this war, Iran found other ways to exert its influence that did not depend on the strait, retired Admiral James Foggo, the dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy, told me. The regime worked largely through its proxies across the region: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Iraq. Those proxies, at least until the U.S. assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, “were pretty effective,” Foggo said. But Soleimani’s death weakened Iran’s regional reach, as did the Israeli-led wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime didn’t help, because Syria was a longtime Iranian client. Widespread protests inside Iran that began in December, and lasted for weeks until they were brutally suppressed, further eroded the regime’s grip. By the time the U.S. and Israel attacked on February 28, Iran’s government was at its lowest point in years—and looking for a way to rebuild.
Center for Maritime Strategy
Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.) | Quoted by Nancy A. Youssef
External Source: The Atlantic
Until this war, Iran found other ways to exert its influence that did not depend on the strait, retired Admiral James Foggo, the dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy, told me. The regime worked largely through its proxies across the region: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Iraq. Those proxies, at least until the U.S. assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, “were pretty effective,” Foggo said. But Soleimani’s death weakened Iran’s regional reach, as did the Israeli-led wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime didn’t help, because Syria was a longtime Iranian client. Widespread protests inside Iran that began in December, and lasted for weeks until they were brutally suppressed, further eroded the regime’s grip. By the time the U.S. and Israel attacked on February 28, Iran’s government was at its lowest point in years—and looking for a way to rebuild.
The full article is available at The Atlantic
Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Dean