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Trump or Biden Must Adopt a Consistent Iran Strategy
Former US President Donald Trump attends the trial of himself, his adult sons, the Trump Organization, and others in a civil fraud case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James, at a Manhattan courthouse, in New York City, US, Oct. 2, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
JNS.org – The personalities of leaders often take center stage in international politics. This is evident in the current discourse surrounding U.S.-Iran relations, particularly given the likelihood of another face-off between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.
The American relationship with Iran has been tumultuous, to say the least. Rooted in a complex history and a tangled web of geopolitical interests, it transcends partisan politics.
The history of U.S. intervention or lack thereof in Iranian affairs is a tangled web. Beginning with the 1979 Islamic-Marxist revolt, it has been marked by failure. President Jimmy Carter badly mishandled relations with the late Shah and enabled the rise of Ruhollah Khomeini’s theocratic regime. Later, President Barack Obama ignored Iran’s civilian uprising and instead embraced the regime. While more reticent than his predecessor, Biden appears to be somewhat optimistic about dialogue with the mullah’s regime.
Given this history, the Iranian-American community—which largely opposes the Islamic regime—has become disillusioned with U.S. policies irrespective of the party in power. The community sees the U.S. as disinclined to support the Iranian people’s aspirations for democracy and freedom.
At the same time, the situation in Iran is dire. As the U.S. has dithered for decades, the Islamic tyranny has only further entrenched its dominance by brutally suppressing domestic dissent and pursuing a quest for hegemony through a policy of regional terrorist imperialism.
In such a situation, it is clear that the U.S. will play a crucial role in shaping the future of Iran. The Trump administration signaled what this role might be by assassinating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s Middle East terror network and imperialist strategy. Soleimani’s assassination resonated profoundly within Iran and earned Trump an undeniable reputation among many Iranians.
The Biden administration faces and a potential second Trump administration would face critical questions about the future direction of U.S.-Iran relations.
The dilemma facing the U.S. is complex. Iran’s continuing destabilization of the region must be addressed. At the same time, the Iranian opposition must be reevaluated, because despite the State Department’s and the CIA’s lack of faith in the movement, the opposition will play a crucial role in the pursuit of a democratic Iran.
Moreover, U.S. policy towards Iran must be evaluated not just in the context of bilateral relations but also broader regional dynamics. These include Iran’s deepening ties with Russia and China and their impact on global terrorism and Israel’s security.
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, it is imperative to shift focus from the individuals vying for the Oval Office to the broader policy frameworks they propose, which will determine the future stability and prosperity of the Middle East and with it, much of the world.
The path the U.S. chooses to take will have significant implications for regional stability and global security, no matter who wins the 2024 presidential election. Thus, the most important thing is for the U.S. to adopt a strategic approach to Iran and the broader Middle East that will remain consistent no matter who is president. The cause of global peace and stability depends on it.
The 1979 catastrophe in Iran gave rise to a dangerous form of Islamic terrorism. It is now crucial for the U.S. and other nations to confront this menace and advocate for a change in Iran’s government. Much as communism and apartheid were ultimately relegated to history, it is essential to do the same to Islamic terrorism. The epicenter of this turmoil is Tehran.
Regardless of whether Trump or Biden occupies the White House, the importance of pursuing regime change should not be overlooked.
The post Trump or Biden Must Adopt a Consistent Iran Strategy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran, US Task Experts to Design Framework for a Nuclear Deal, Tehran Says
Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Iran and the United States agreed on Saturday to task experts to start drawing up a framework for a potential nuclear deal, Iran’s foreign minister said, after a second round of talks following President Donald Trump’s threat of military action.
At their second indirect meeting in a week, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi negotiated for almost four hours in Rome with Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, through an Omani official who shuttled messages between them.
Trump, who abandoned a 2015 nuclear pact between Tehran and world powers during his first term in 2018, has threatened to attack Iran unless it reaches a new deal swiftly that would prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, says it is willing to discuss limited curbs to its atomic work in return for lifting international sanctions.
Speaking on state TV after the talks, Araqchi described them as useful and conducted in a constructive atmosphere.
“We were able to make some progress on a number of principles and goals, and ultimately reached a better understanding,” he said.
“It was agreed that negotiations will continue and move into the next phase, in which expert-level meetings will begin on Wednesday in Oman. The experts will have the opportunity to start designing a framework for an agreement.”
The top negotiators would meet again in Oman next Saturday to “review the experts’ work and assess how closely it aligns with the principles of a potential agreement,” he added.
Echoing cautious comments last week from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he added: “We cannot say for certain that we are optimistic. We are acting very cautiously. There is no reason either to be overly pessimistic.”
There was no immediate comment from the US side following the talks. Trump told reporters on Friday: “I’m for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific.”
Washington’s ally Israel, which opposed the 2015 agreement with Iran that Trump abandoned in 2018, has not ruled out an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to an Israeli official and two other people familiar with the matter.
Since 2019, Iran has breached and far surpassed the 2015 deal’s limits on its uranium enrichment, producing stocks far above what the West says is necessary for a civilian energy program.
A senior Iranian official, who described Iran’s negotiating position on condition of anonymity on Friday, listed its red lines as never agreeing to dismantle its uranium enriching centrifuges, halt enrichment altogether or reduce its enriched uranium stockpile below levels agreed in the 2015 deal.
The post Iran, US Task Experts to Design Framework for a Nuclear Deal, Tehran Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Says Fate of US-Israeli Hostage Unknown After Guard Killed in Israel Strike
Varda Ben Baruch, the grandmother of Edan Alexander, 19, an Israeli army volunteer kidnapped by Hamas, attends a special Kabbalat Shabbat ceremony with families of other hostages, in Herzliya, Israel October 27, 2023 REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki
Hamas said on Saturday the fate of an Israeli dual national soldier believed to be the last US citizen held alive in Gaza was unknown, after the body of one of the guards who had been holding him was found killed by an Israeli strike.
A month after Israel abandoned the ceasefire with the resumption of intensive strikes across the breadth of Gaza, Israel was intensifying its attacks.
President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said in March that freeing Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old New Jersey native who was serving in the Israeli army when he was captured during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that precipitated the war, was a “top priority.” His release was at the center of talks held between Hamas leaders and US negotiator Adam Boehler last month.
Hamas had said on Tuesday that it had lost contact with the militants holding Alexander after their location was hit in an Israeli attack. On Saturday it said the body of one of the guards had been recovered.
“The fate of the prisoner and the rest of the captors remains unknown,” said Hamas armed wing Al-Qassam Brigades’ spokesperson Abu Ubaida.
“We are trying to protect all the hostages and preserve their lives … but their lives are in danger because of the criminal bombings by the enemy’s army,” Abu Ubaida said.
The Israeli military did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Hamas released 38 hostages under the ceasefire that began on January 19. Fifty-nine are still believed to be held in Gaza, fewer than half of them still alive.
Israel put Gaza under a total blockade in March and restarted its assault on March 18 after talks failed to extend the ceasefire. Hamas says it will free remaining hostages only under an agreement that permanently ends the war; Israel says it will agree only to a temporary pause.
On Friday, the Israeli military said it hit about 40 targets across the enclave over the past day. The military on Saturday announced that a 35-year-old soldier had died in combat in Gaza.
NETANYAHU STATEMENT
Late on Thursday Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’ Gaza chief, said the movement was willing to swap all remaining 59 hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel in return for an end to the war and reconstruction of Gaza.
He dismissed an Israeli offer, which includes a demand that Hamas lay down its arms, as imposing “impossible conditions.”
Israel has not responded formally to Al-Hayya’s comments, but ministers have said repeatedly that Hamas must be disarmed completely and can play no role in the future governance of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to give a statement later on Saturday.
Hamas on Saturday also released an undated and edited video of Israeli hostage Elkana Bohbot. Hamas has released several videos over the course of the war of hostages begging to be released. Israeli officials have dismissed past videos as propaganda.
After the video was released, Bohbot’s family said in a statement that they were “deeply shocked and devastated,” and expressed concern for his mental and physical condition.
“How much longer will he be expected to wait and ‘stay strong’?” the family asked, urging for all of the 59 hostages who are still held in Gaza to be brought home.
The post Hamas Says Fate of US-Israeli Hostage Unknown After Guard Killed in Israel Strike first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Oman’s Sultan to Meet Putin in Moscow After Iran-US Talks
FILE PHOTO: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said gives a speech after being sworn in before the royal family council in Muscat, Oman January 11, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani/File Photo
Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said is set to visit Moscow on Monday, days after the start of a round of Muscat-mediated nuclear talks between the US and Iran.
The sultan will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the Kremlin said.
Iran and the US started a new round of nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday to resolve their decades-long standoff over Tehran’s atomic aims, under the shadow of President Donald Trump’s threat to unleash military action if diplomacy fails.
Ahead of Saturday’s talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. Following the meeting, Lavrov said Russia was “ready to assist, mediate and play any role that will be beneficial to Iran and the USA.”
Moscow has played a role in Iran’s nuclear negotiations in the past as a veto-wielding U.N. Security Council member and signatory to an earlier deal that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.
The sultan’s meetings in Moscow visit will focus on cooperation on regional and global issues, the Omani state news agency and the Kremlin said, without providing further detail.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss trade and economic ties, the Kremlin added.
The post Oman’s Sultan to Meet Putin in Moscow After Iran-US Talks first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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