Thursday, February 19, 2026
PMT: Iran, again?
News outlets are reporting that the United States has positioned naval and air forces for a potential strike against Iran, probably directed at Iran's nuclear facilities (again- this happened already back in June of last year). The strike is likely to be coordinated with Israel, and would happen in the context of civil unrest and mass protests against the Iranian leaders.
Some commentators are urging caution. Military strikes always bring great risk, and there may be a sense of over-confidence after the success of the Venezuela strikes only a few months ago. Iran is in a dangerous neighborhood (see above), and capable of sophisticated technology and tactics; it was Iranian drones that largely changed the trajectory of the Ukraine-Russia war.
It could be that the positioning of forces is, at least in part, a negotiating tactic-- and there is no doubt that a negotiated outcome would be best.
