The Wall Street Journal, on Sunday (January 11), cited several U.S. officials who said that President Trump is expected to receive a briefing from senior officials on specific plans regarding Iran on Tuesday (the 13th).
The report stated that the meeting on the 13th will discuss the next steps the United States may take against Iran, including military strikes, deploying secret cyber weapons against both military and civilian targets in Iran, imposing more sanctions on the Iranian government, and increasing support for online sources opposing the Iranian government.
Comments: Trump is attempting to deliver a "decisive blow" during Iran's internal turmoil, which is essentially a calculated but highly risky power gamble. As protests triggered by economic difficulties continue to escalate, shifting from livelihood demands to political expressions, the Trump administration quickly proposed multiple options, including military strikes, cyber attacks, and supporting anti-government forces, aiming to exploit the chaos to create cracks in the Iranian regime, weaken this regional "anti-American model" in the Middle East, and use an aggressive foreign policy stance to cater to domestic conservative demands.
However, this "opportunistic" plan may not succeed: on one hand, the Iranian regime still has strong resilience, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps maintaining strong control, the Supreme Leader's ideological appeal, and a "divided control" crisis management strategy, making it difficult for the protests to form a unified force capable of toppling the regime; on the other hand, the sharp division between hawks and isolationists within the U.S. government means that the "decisive strike" lacks unified policy support. Moreover, the U.S. is well aware that reckless military intervention could lead to historical mistakes, triggering a fierce counterattack from Iran, such as blocking the Strait of Hormuz. More importantly, Trump's plot is essentially interfering in another country's internal affairs, which violates international law and will further intensify regional tensions. Ultimately, instead of "defeating" Iran, it may plunge the U.S. into a more complicated Middle Eastern mess.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854067183909895/
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