“We fear nothing when we are with God. If we are killed while we are with God, we are blessed, and if we kill while we are with God, we are also blessed.” This is one of Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini’s most famous quotes. In Khomeini’s interpretation of jihad, now the Islamic Republic’s interpretation of jihad, it does not matter how devastating the consequences are for the Iranian people. What matters is how much damage is caused to the enemies of Shia Islam.

With an ideology like this one, how can we expect military deterrence to cause any long-term change in behavior?