Daniel Davis Deep Dive The MOMENTUM of WAR in IRAN /Alastair Crooke & Lt Col Daniel Davis
Feb 27, 2026
Alastair Crooke, former British diplomat and MI6 officer and founder of the Conflicts Forum, offers a seasoned view of Iran’s strategic stance. He outlines gaps in US-Iran talks, the hard-to-reverse momentum of military mobilization, Israeli messaging dynamics, Iran’s deterrent posture and dispersed missile infrastructure, and how regional escalation risks could unfold.
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Israeli Elite Pushes Vision While Public Fears Costs
- Israeli rhetoric of inevitability contrasts with Israeli public anxiety and fantasy of a post-Iran 'new Middle East'.
- Crooke notes Hebrew press pushes a transformational narrative while many Israelis fear retaliation and casualties.
Shia Ethos Explains Iranian Resolve And Limits WMD Use
- Shia cultural ethos in Iran sustains willingness to sacrifice, making extreme deterrence narratives misleading.
- Crooke contrasts Western emotive assumptions with Shia history of sacrifice and notes Iran's fatwa against WMDs.
Talk With Iran Instead Of Relying On Pressure
- Diplomacy should be based on rational engagement, not only pressure and military threats.
- Crooke recommends talking with Iran using reason rather than escalating pressure that entrenches principlist resistance.