Officials from Iran are warning they may enhance the nation’s nuclear capabilities as the Trump administration may take action against them if Tehran remains uncooperative in negotiations.
“The president ought to make the administration feel the pressure straightforwardly,” said Ben Ben Talebli, an Iranian expert and senior researcher at the Democracy Foundation, in comments to Fox News Digital.
“This can be accomplished through rigorous enforcement of stringent sanctions and targeting campaigns against the assets of regional regimes. Yemen stands as a pertinent example now. Washington must introduce a third critical element alongside other economic and military pressures: substantial support for the Iranian populace.”
Khamenei of Iran warns of a “severe blow” as Trump contemplates military action, while Putin remains silent amid our fury.
Iranian military vehicles transport ground-to-air missiles past the image of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the parade held for Army Day on April 18, 2018 in Tehran, Iran. (via Atta Kenare/AFP Getty Images)
Lisa Daftali, an expert on the Middle East and editor-in-chief of foreign desks, noted to Fox News Digital that diplomacy frequently requires negotiations that symbolically amplify offers to Iranian regimes, and even symbolically heighten the risks posed by terrorizing their populace and legitimizing governments that support fundraising proxies such as Hamas, Houthis, and Hezbollah.
“This regime flourishes through rebelliousness, not dialogue. This has remained constant. For over four decades, the Mullahs have only comprehended one language.
President Donald Trump indicated to reporters aboard Air Force 1 that the US prefers to engage Iran face-to-face.
“I believe it will expedite the process, and you can grasp the other side much better than through mediation,” Trump stated. “They intended to employ intermediaries. However, I doubt that holds true now. I think they’re anxious. I believe they’re exposed and dislike that situation.”
Trump further threatened to strike Iran and implement secondary sanctions against Iranian oil if the nation does not engage in negotiations regarding the nuclear program. While he expressed a desire for an agreement, Trump did not dismiss military options.
Iranians protested the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, after her detention by moral police in Tehran on September 20, 2022. (AP Photos/Middle Eastern Images, Files)
President Trump spoke to NBC News last weekend.
The US has increased its deterrent capabilities in the area, deploying additional fighter jet squadrons, bombers, and predator drones to elevate defensive air support. Moreover, the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group is being positioned in the area, alongside the USS Harry S. Truman in the Middle East to combat the Houthi forces in Yemen.
In response, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, issued his own threats, asserting that Iran would retaliate “decisively and swiftly” to any threats against Iran from the US.
The Waltz warned Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, or there will be ramifications.
Military trucks transport missiles behind the portrait of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the annual military parade. (Atta Kenare/AFP/GetTyimages)
“The counteroffer for indirect talks in Tehran illustrates the administration’s approach to dismiss Trump, while keeping open the option for discussions that could serve as a shield against possible preemptive strikes,” Taleblu remarked.
The president has communicated with Khamenei, who has shown interest in negotiating over the nuclear matter. Although escalating military forces in the area, the Trump administration indicates its willingness to consider indirect discussions with Iran to restrict the growth of its nuclear endeavors and prevent direct conflict.
Regional analysts and observers caution that Iran has historically utilized negotiations as a delaying tactic, cautioning the Trump administration about the potential outcomes of talks that could lead to even greater escalation.
“The Trump administration ought to apply maximum pressure on the Iranian leadership given its weakened state in recent years. Indirect discussions represent the administration’s strategy that can facilitate enduring actions,” Alireza Nader, a D.C.-based independent analyst and Iranian expert, told Fox News Digital.
Nader advised Trump to champion the Iranian populace, arguing that the administration currently appears more fragile than it manifests.
“President Trump genuinely desires a resolution. Iran has the chance to return to talks and retain a controlled nuclear program, but we would require concessions on the scope and duration of the agreement,” Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, stated to Fox News Digital.
“Trump currently holds a dominant position. Republicans in Congress are wary of him. For now, he remains unrestrained. But the power dynamics can shift. The longer he remains in the White House, the more susceptible he might become.
President Trump can halt Iran’s progression towards nuclear armament: “reinstating a credible military threat,” details the report.
Yahya Sarea, spokesman for the Houthi Army, will participate in a rally largely organized by Houthi demonstrators to show support for Hezbollah and Palestinians in Lebanon during a gathering in Sanaa, Yemen on November 22, 2024. (Reuters/Khaled Abdullah)
In an interview with Mark Dubowitz of the Defense of Democracies Podcast Foundation,Iran’s collapse Israeli Prime Minister Oia Rapid stated that ultimately Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear sites with or without US assistance. According to Rapid, there are no alternative courses of action.
During a discussion, Ali Larijani, an advisor to the Supreme Leader, remarked in an interview that while Iran does not aim for nuclear weapons, Tehran would have no alternative but to develop them if attacked by the US or Israel.
The International Atomic Energy Agency indicated in February that Iran has accelerated its nuclear development and enriched uranium close to weapons-grade levels.
Danielle Pletka, a senior fellow in foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), remarked to Fox News Digital that bolstering military assets in the Middle East is a prudent strategy, given the threats to the US and its allies in the region.
For Pletka, the focal question is what the Trump administration seeks.
“A deal that will not fully eliminate the nuclear weapons program? If so, the president will merely postpone Iran’s nuclear ambitions for another period due to the dangers posed by Barack Obama’s approach towards our allies and ourselves,” Pletka related to Fox News Digital.
Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, with President Donald Trump. (Iran’s Supreme Leader/Wana (West Asia News Agency)/Reuters/Elizabeth Franz/ Handouts via file photo)
Pletka mentioned that it seems peculiar that President Trump appears to perceive a deal similar to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which faced considerable backlash from Capitol Hill.
Trump initially exited the JCPOA, known as Iran’s nuclear agreement, during his first term in 2018, and reinstated severe economic sanctions. The Biden administration first considered re-engagement with Iran on the nuclear subject upon taking office, but this was complicated by Iran’s internal politics and its involvement in supporting regional terrorist groups, rendering discussions ineffective.
Another risk facing the president is being perceived as a paper tiger, according to AEI’s Pletka.
“He has threatened Hamas with attacks. Now he is voicing threats against Iran regarding military action. Yet, does he genuinely intend to follow through?” she inquired.
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Pletka expressed, “There exists significant ambiguity regarding the president’s intentions, and that uncertainty presents an opportunity for the Iranians to take advantage.”
Vatanka from the Middle East Institute indicated that he believes if Iran consents to keep its enrichment levels consistently low, Trump can claim a potential achievement that could be promoted domestically, suggesting that President Obama secured a better agreement through the JCPOA.
