Perspective: Iranians do want regime change — but not the kind Washington hawks are pushing
National security adviser John Bolton listens as President Trump speaks with reporters April 9 at the White House. Bolton has pushed Trump's Iran policy in a hawkish direction. By Vali Nasr Vali Nasr Bio Follow Vali Nasr, the dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, was a senior adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department during the Obama administration.
Trump’s talk of negotiations rings hollow. Washington’s strategy, it has been clear for some time, is to oust the current Iranian leadership through economic pressure and, if necessary, a nudge from the military. No wonder national security adviser John Bolton and other hawkish officials had asked the Pentagon for a plan that includes sending as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East, should Iran make an aggressive military move.
The problem, for U.S. hawks, is that Iranians think they already signed up for a version of it, on their terms: Iranian citizens looked to the nuclear deal as the first step in repairing Iran’s relations with the West and changing the character of their country’s politics. If the nuclear deal held, then other deals would follow, they thought, each further opening Iran’s economy and relaxing its politics.
Yes, security forces have been quick to clamp down on protests in an effort to stamp out unrest before it spreads, but the real reason for the lack of revolutionary fervor is that few Iranians want to upend order and stability — especially to serve Washington’s goals. The Arab Spring, Iranians have not failed to notice, did not turn out well for the Arab world. Its legacy is civil war, broken states and more authoritarianism.
Iranian have plenty to not like about the Islamic Republic, but they will resist being used as an instrument of U.S. policy. The memory of the 1953 U.S. meddling in Iranian politics — which animated the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the subsequent hostage crisis — still looms large in popular consciousness. If it comes to confrontation, many will rally to the flag.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Italy’s Climate Change-Skeptic Government Wants To Host The UN’s Flagship Climate Change ConferenceItaly’s candidacy is putting EU governments in a difficult position. The UK meanwhile is lobbying Italy to drop its bid.
Read more »
Washington and Beijing push tech chasm widerPresident Trump has launched an aggressive assault on telecom giant Huawei, as China moves to strengthen cybersecurity rules. The moves will further divide the sector and complicate trade negotiations. A costly technology cold war looks here to stay.
Read more »
Perspective | Betsy DeVos wants to resurrect an old — and failed — model of public educationGovernment funded and run schools evolved from a broader system of public education that couldn't provide what students needed.
Read more »
Macron wants to meet Libya's Haftar to push ceasefire: French foreign ministerPresident Emmanuel Macron wants to meet Libyan eastern commander Khalifa Haftar ...
Read more »
Peltz's Trian Fund may push for changes at mutual fund Legg MasonNelson Peltzs' Trian Fund Management LP may push Legg Mason Inc. to impleme...
Read more »
'I am completely changed:' 15 amazing, relatable quotes from celebrity momsThey inspire us -- Chrissy Teigen, Kristen Bell, Pink, Carrie Underwood and more -- for being open and honest about the joys and laughs of motherhood.
Read more »
Perspective | Tiger Woods’s triumph was not the greatest comeback in sports historyAlas, it is only the second greatest comeback in golf history, maybe the fifth greatest comeback in sports history and probably not among the 25,000 greatest comebacks in human history.
Read more »
Perspective | When your sanctuary is not necessarily a safe havenPerspective: The outrageous, heartbreaking conversations we now have with our 7-year-olds about surviving shooters at school and at houses of worship
Read more »
Legislator Pushing Abortion Ban in Alabama Says He’s Not ‘Smart Enough to Be Pregnant’Chris Aluka Berry/ReutersThe bill being considered in the Alabama Senate—which bans abortion outright in the state—was no laughing matter. But multiple times during the debate Tuesday, the gallery descended into snickers at male legislators’ confusion about human biology. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Clyde
Read more »
Trump wants Dems 'to fight him on his turf' but that's not path to success: BookerAsked if his “nice guy” approach appeals to Democrats, Sen. Cory Booker tells ABC’s jonkarl that Pres. Trump “wants us to fight him on his turf”: “We will not succeed by showing the worse of who we are.” Watch more Sunday on ThisWeekABC:
Read more »