Ray Takeyh, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an Iran expert born in Tehran, writes in a Politico article titled, ‘Why the Death of an Iranian Commander Won’t Mean World War III,’ that the U.S. dealt a major blow to the Mullahs by taking out Qassem Soleimani
Don’t believe the messages of a coming World War III, he says.
Takeyh, who also taught at the War College and advised Senate Committees, believes the Mullahs are facing an uprising and are suffering economically under the sanctions.
He writes about the death of Soleimani, “His death will be a blow to the Iranian theocracy but—contrary to what many observers are warning—could very likely temper the clerical oligarchs, who tend to retreat in face of American determination.”
The Iran expert doesn’t see them escalating if they hope to stay in power.
“Past is often prologue in Iran. When a truculent Ronald Reagan assumed the presidency, Iran hastily released the American diplomats it had held hostage for 444 days. When George W. Bush’s shock and awe campaign quickly displaced the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Iran responded by suspending its nuclear program. The mullahs relish assaulting America but are circumspect when facing a tough-minded, unpredictable president,” he writes.
Takeyh seems to think this strategy will work. It has to be better than sending them billions for their terror networking.
President Trump could choke their oil sales, and Takeyh seems to think the Iranians will pull back from their nuclear program.
Takeyh writes, “As the commemoration ceremonies begin in Iran, it is important to stress that the imperial edifice that Soleimani built was already stressed. The sanctions reimposed by the Trump administration after its abrogation of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal have depleted Iran’s economy, calling into question its foreign policy imperatives. In November, Iran was rocked by massive demonstrations as the regime had to curtail its onerous fuel subsidies. An uneasy path lies ahead for the clerical oligarchs. The last thing they need is a costly confrontation with a president willing to do things they once considered unimaginable.”
That sounds good and hopefully, he is right.
In one fiery tweet, the President wrote today, all in caps, “IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”
IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2020
Let’s hope that’s right too.
This POTUS does NOT pander to “those who kill Americans by rewarding them with OVER a Billion to continue their agenda of nuclear weapons.” I trust President Trump, as he is strong, a great Leader, and he is ALSO looking out for the Good Iranian people who have lived UNDER this corrupt Mullah’s Heavy Hand, and the Terrorist General Soleimani who DID Kill Americans and was trying to get Iraqi’s involved Again…Our Embassy’s cannot be subject to “7th Century Killers, who have held the whole M.E. Hostage, and think that America will be ‘Obama’s Playing Santa Claus and rewarding them’……..
.POTUS Trump will NOT stand by, and allow More Americans to be Killed, and it’s sad that we have “Anti-Trump, Anti-Americans within the Media who are MORE concerned with Iran’s Terrorist, than being Upset, that once again our Embassy and those inside, had to go to ‘safe rooms’ as they were ABOUT to meet the SAME OUTCOME AS AMB. STEVENS AND FOUR OTHER AMERICANS, THAT OBAMA & SOS, HILLARY ALLOWED TO DIE, WITHOUT SENDING ‘ANY HELP THAT HAD BEEN REQUESTED FOR OVER A YEAR FROM AMB.STEVENS THAT WAS IGNORED BY SOS, HILLARY AND OBAMA. TO MAKE IT WORSE, THEY BOTH LIED TO THE FAMILIES OF THE SLAIN AMERICANS, AND SUSAN RICE WENT ON 6 TV.SHOWS AND LIED TO THE WHOLE AMERICAN POPULATION. NO WONDER IRAN LIKED OBAMA-HE HELPED THEM OUT, even AS THEY CHANTED: “DEATH TO AMERICA”
Trump is doing great work…he has done much more than Ovomit, who gave Iran over $1 billion in cash in the dead of nite
Well, if the actions have got the left’s panties in a wad, must be a good thing for America. But, they get their knickers in a bunch over pretty much anything Trump does or says, or tweets. Lovin’ it.
KAG 2020.
Maintain the moral courage do not back down as the Obama Admin has done.