For now, it appears that the United States will hold off on striking Iran in retaliation for an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) surface-to-air missile downing of a U.S. drone. U.S. President Donald Trump announced June 21 that he had initially authorized a military strike on three Iranian targets, but called it off 10 minutes before it was due to begin due to concerns over the potential loss of life. But while the United States has refrained thus far from striking Iran and risking Iranian retaliation, the risk of a U.S. counterstrike will remain acute over the third quarter....
