Iran and the US
Another wider strategic implication that I think the White House must be considering is what these kinds of attacks on overwhelmingly civilian targets would mean for perception of President Trump and the United States inside Iran. We've seen in the past, President Trump has indicated that Iranians respect him, have a high level of admiration for him and the campaign that he is conducting against the Islamic regime. But this kind of attack at this level, that would threaten livelihoods and the ability of ordinary Iranians to conduct their lives, would undermine the argument of winning hearts and minds, to use that phrase. And I think that would under underwhelm Trump's longer term objective of demonstrating that he was trying to do something on behalf of the Iranian people. I think that there will be severe backlash inside of the country, certainly, but possibly across Iranian communities in the United States as well."
