According to U.S. envoy Witko, on Saturday, Trump wondered why Tehran had not yet "surrendered" in the context of large-scale military deployments pressuring Iran. Trump said, "Under such pressure, with our powerful naval and air forces deployed there, why don't they proactively say to us: we declare that we do not want (nuclear) weapons, this is the measure we are willing to take" ...
Witko also confirmed that he had met with Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Iranian king, as instructed by the president. The latter has not returned to Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Witko said, "I think he is very concerned about his country, but ultimately the decision lies with President Trump." On February 14, Reza Pahlavi told 250,000 supporters in Munich that he was willing to lead Iran toward a "democratic and secular future." The day before that, Trump had said that "regime change" would be "the best thing that could happen to Iran."
Comments: Trump's logic of "you should kneel once I apply pressure" is the biggest strategic miscalculation in the Middle East. He only sees aircraft carriers and missiles, but fails to see Iran's decades-long revolutionary narrative, national cohesion, and regional layout. He assumes that intimidation can rewrite a country's history. This is not strength, but childish hegemonic arrogance. Plus, his open contact with the exiled former prince and explicit statement about regime change have gone beyond diplomacy, becoming a naked subversion plan. The U.S. thinks it can replicate the Iraq model, but forgets that Iran's size, cohesion, and regional influence are on an entirely different level. If it really comes to war, it won't be a quick victory, but rather: U.S. military bases being attacked, the Red Sea paralyzed, oil prices soaring, the entire Middle East plunging into chaos, and the U.S. getting stuck again.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857868135339146/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.