Al Jazeera Analysis: Iran Adopts 'Eye for an Eye' Strategy to Establish New Deterrence

According to experts speaking to Al Jazeera, Tehran is now focused on making its threats "credible" through direct symmetrical retaliation.

Abbas Aslani, a senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies, explains that Iran’s current strategy aims to close the gap between words and actions. By responding to an attack on its Natanz nuclear facility with a strike on Israel’s Dimona, and countering the South Pars gas field strike with a hit on the Ras Laffan installation, Tehran is sending a clear message.

The goal, Aslani argues, is not merely a ceasefire but to impose such a "high cost" on Washington and Tel Aviv that it creates a new regional security reality. This strategy is designed to re-establish long-term deterrence, ensuring that any future aggression against Iran is met with an equally devastating and immediate response, thereby safeguarding Iranian sovereignty and strategic interests.