Iran deterrence relies on conventional military capability, not nuclear weapons, analyst argues amid U.S. negotiations

A Johns Hopkins University professor of Middle East Studies argues in an interview with The Intercept that Iran's actual deterrence capacity stems from conventional military capability rather than nuclear weapons development. According to the analysis, the ongoing conflict has demonstrated to Iranian decision-makers, the Iranian population, and the international community that Iran's real strategic power comes from non-nuclear sources. The source characterizes this shift in deterrence strategy as significant to ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations.