Some additional thoughts and the Fakhrizadeh assassination and implications for the US.

Important for the American public to note the broader pattern:
1. Israel presses US to address Iran’s nuclear program, US tries threats of war and sanctions - but they fail. (2002-2012) https://twitter.com/tparsi/status/1332343037268291585

2. US tries real diplomacy - it works. (2012-2015) Israel is infuriated as it wanted war and pressures Trump to leave the deal. Trump complies - and predictably, a series of escalations bring the US and Iran minutes away from war TWICE. (2018-2019)

3. But still no war. Biden defeats Trump and Israel is now desperate to start the war - or at a minimum prevent Biden from restarting talks. Israel coordinates with Trump, Saudi, and UAE for a flood of new sanctions to sabotage Biden’s chances of restarting diplomacy with Iran.

4. If Israel was behind Fakhrizadeh's killing - which seems likely though not proven - it demonstrates the degree to which Bibi feels emboldened to undermine Democratic US presidents with impunity. And the extent to which he believes he dragging the US into war is cost-free.

5. US strategic partnerships should help make the US MORE safe. The last thing they should do is to make the US LESS safe.

But that is where we are today in the Middle East. This will not change unless the US decides to end its drive for military hegemony there.

The latter points are explained in detail here, in a report Paul Pillar, Andrew Bacevich, @AnnelleSheline and I authored. https://quincyinst.org/2020/07/17/ending-americas-misguided-policy-of-middle-east-domination/