Wednesday
January 8th could be considered one of the most important events during four
decades of Iran-US conflict. On Wednesday morning, in response to the
assassination of Qassem Soleimani by a US raid near Baghdad airport, the
Islamic Republic of Iran fired missiles at Ain al-Asad base in the city of
Anbar western Iraq. This response have a major impact on the security and
political equations for West Asia region.

The
missile strike on the Ain al-Asad base as a deterrent, effective in expelling
US forces from West Asia especially Iraq but it is not enough. In principle,
the Americans do not intend to leave the region unless the cost of their
presence was expensive. In this regard, Washington is trying to enhance its
presence in Iraq through various pretexts such as the revival of ISIS project
and the plan to divide Iraq into Sunni, Shiite and other regions.

Therefore,
the strategic plan to withdraw or expel Americans from the region, which Iran
has identified as an ultimate goal, requires careful planning and appropriate
timing. For example, the Iraqi parliament’s decision to expel Americans from
the country and the march of millions of Iraqis in Baghdad to protest against
the assassination will be a tool to pressure on Americans. Creating insecurity
for Americans in the region is another factor that will speed up their exit.

In any case, the Iranian missile strike on Ain
al-Asad, regardless of the amount of damage and losses, shows Iran's ability to
attack and this is the point that can create a level of deterrence in Tehran's
favor. Recent news show that the material damage to the base was significant
and a large number of American forces may have been killed in the attack.
Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran must carefully monitor behavior of US
forces in the region until the ultimate goal is achieved