Spelt the author's name correctly this time

19 Jan 2026
https://thecradle.co/articles-id/35475

Rumors swirl around US President Donald Trump's abrupt cancellation of new air
strikes on Iran. What is undeniable is that the US military has few assets in
the Persian Gulf. Trump has since ordered reinforcements.

Israel's attempt to destabilize Iran from within has failed, but new pretexts
for war are emerging. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff recently communicated
with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during which he is said to have
issued outrageous demands - terminate enrichment, handover enriched uranium, and
reduce missile ranges and stockpiles - effectively, a demand for capitulation,
which Washington knows Tehran will reject. The US will claim "Iran refuses to
negotiate in good faith" as casus belli.

Pre-empt, or be punished
Iran's military doctrine is fundamentally defensive; Israel's is not. But that
posture may be changing. In August 2025, retired Iranian Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC) General Yahya Safavi, senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei, declared: "We must adopt an offensive strategy." In a January
statement, Iran's Defense Council said, "within the framework of legitimate
defense, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not limit itself to reacting after
action and considers objective signs of threat as part of the security
equation."

"Pre-emptive War" is to strike first to seize the initiative when confronting an
imminent threat. The textbook study is Israel's Six-Day War (1967), following
the blockade of the Tiran Straits, the mobilization of Arab armies, and the
hostile rhetoric.

Ctd ...