Iran's recent ballistic-missile salvos aimed at Israel signal Tehran's desire to project power across the region, put Washington on the defensive, and demonstrate its significant strike capabilities.
Tehran's leaders appear to be gambling that missile attacks and President Trump's desire to keep a possible peace deal on track will pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back his offensive against the Iranian allied-Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Iran's regime has been emboldened by surviving more than a month of airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel and has established some deterrence against future attacks by showing it can inflict costs on the global economy.
The White House's reluctance to restart the war has bolstered Tehran's confidence that it can be more assertive without triggering military blowback.
