If we want to significantly reduce Iranian attacks on U.S. interests in Iraq, we will need to respond directly to Iran. And responding directly also offers another advantage: it mitigates new damage to our interests in Iraq.

The New York Times reports that the Trump administration is preparing for an escalated campaign against an Iranian proxy group in Iraq, Kata’ib Hezbollah. That group is carrying out an escalating campaign of rocket attacks on U.S. military bases in Iraq. These Iranian-directed attacks have killed one American and wounded others.