On Monday, U.S. Central Command put out a broad request, “We are looking for new, creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran.”

We’re in, but spoiler alert, you don’t need new, creative or unconventional ideas. With just three simple principles, the civilized world will bring the Islamic Republic to an end.

Choose to Win

Early in Operation Epic Fury there was a misplaced feeling of inevitability to victory. All wars can be won and lost. When that feeling of inevitability dissipated, some started looking for an “offramp,” however, there’s an IRGC roadblock at every turn.

The only answer is to move forward. No more discussions, no more pauses, no more late-night phone calls from a trembling Saudi monarchy.

Regime change through domestic revolution is the most feasible and appropriate outcome to this conflict. That should be the open and unambiguous policy of the United States. And we should demand the same of our allies – regardless of on which continent they find themselves. 

Every economic lever that can be pulled, should be pulled. Washington needs to set up a special financial task force focused on targeting the regime’s remaining revenue generation efforts (kinetically and with sanctions) and the IRGC’s current leadership (kinetically and with sanctions) this must include the wider use of secondary sanctions.

All IRGC millionaires should be killed or bankrupted, regardless of where they or their money is found.

Seize the Initiative

Regardless of whether they are man or beast, hunters are incredibly patient. They find a favorable spot, and they wait. Eventually, their prey comes into view. And then, they wait some more. Finally, if the conditions are right, they seize the moment.

Hunters do not allow their prey to set the timing, parameters, rules, or location of the battle.

The United States should deploy satellite and drone technologies over Iran, prowling likely launcher corridors, as well as seaside cliffs and caves, every moment of every day. In addition, special operations teams must be in-country with direct access to local support (more on that below).

At this stage in the conflict, the allies are too reliant on missile defense, and the enemy has too much freedom to maneuver (figuratively and literally).

Missile launchers and the crews that operate them must be hunted down. Likewise for all remaining small naval assets. Moreover, through consistency, speed, and violence of action, the allies can instill the appropriate amount of fear in the foot soldiers operating these weapons thus inducing errors and potentially desertion.

Act Like a Superpower

Finally, moderately powerful countries, let alone superpowers, do not need to send in the cavalry. They use proxy forces. Iran did this to greater effect than perhaps anyone since the Cold War and a superpower they were/are not.

Put another way, as we wrote recently, the Iranian people are freedom’s boots on the ground. But the allied powers have not properly engaged with the local population.

Within Iran and Iraq, Kurdish, Azeri, and Arab ethnic groups with anti-regime sentiments should be supported financially and with limited military assets (e.g. intelligence, air cover).

Proxy forces are the linchpin that has been missing since early on in this war. But this isn’t/shouldn’t be news to anyone. We’ve already discussed reports that Vice President Vance leaked plans to engage Kurdish forces to their mortal enemy, the Hamas-supporting regime in Turkey. As a result, according to the reporting, the president of Turkey called President Trump who then killed the plan. Why?

Setting aside the Vice President’s alleged betrayal, since when does a superpower care about the concerns of a middling wannabe Sultan? 

Moreover, the roles aren’t just reversed between Washington and Ankara – how many times have the American people been told that an Arab capital requested the US cancel strikes on Iran? Why do we care?

In stark contrast to Jerusalem, most of the Arab regimes are at best allies of convenience; we do not share their values.   And yet, they decide when the US drops bombs on a country with whom we’ve been at war for half a century?

As it happens, on this conflict, at this moment, Washington doesn’t need to think outside the box. We admire the inclination to “crowdsource” a solution to a complex problem, but not when the basics haven’t first been tried.  

We called for a naval blockade, it eventually happened and it worked (when it was in place) to suppress the regime’s financial lifeblood. We pilloried the Memorandum of Understanding, and it turned out to be exactly as feared. This isn’t actually rocket science, nor is it high-stakes geopolitics – not anymore, that Rubicon has been crossed; we’re at war, act like it, think like it, and we’ll win.  

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund Team