According to a video published by JNS TV on Thursday, July 2, 2026, commentator Ruthie Blum argued that Iran’s leadership cannot be deterred using the same strategy that shaped Cold War relations between the United States and the former Soviet Union.
During a discussion with Mark Regev, Blum cited historian Bernard Lewis, arguing that the doctrine of mutually assured destruction worked during the Cold War because both superpowers sought to avoid self-destruction. Quoting Lewis, she said, “They’re Islamist ideologues and they’re willing to commit suicide… they’re twelvers and therefore you cannot compare.” She added, “There is no mutually assured destruction with them… It didn’t believe in going to heaven and getting 72 virgins.”
Blum argued that Iran’s ideological beliefs make diplomatic agreements ineffective and maintained that sustained military pressure is the only reliable way to prevent Tehran from advancing its nuclear programme.
Regev agreed that Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons but advocated a different approach. He said sustained economic and political pressure, backed by a credible military threat, could eventually change Iran’s behaviour, describing the strategy as coercive diplomacy. He also cited President Donald Trump’s recent strikes on Iranian targets as reinforcing that approach.
