The US, Iran and the Middle East

Former President Donald Trump came out against regime change in Iran in a Wednesday podcast interview. Trump was speaking on the PBD Podcast and was asked by the host, Patrick Bet-David, whether he desires a change in Iran’s form of government and a restoration of the Shah... “We can’t get totally involved at all, you know. We can’t run ourselves, let’s face it,” Trump said... “The real threat isn’t global warming. The real threat is nuclear warming,” Trump said. “The power [of nuclear weapons] is obliteration.” Trump also indicated that his Iran policy in a potential second term would be different than in his first... 

The United States warned Iran at the United Nations on Monday that if it undertakes any further aggressive acts against Israel or U.S. personnel in the region "there will be severe consequences." "We will not hesitate to act in self defense. Let there be no confusion. The United States does not want to see further escalation. We believe this should be the end of the direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council.

The threat posed by Iran to the global community has been on the rise in recent years and security concerns remain heightened just days after Israel hit Tehran.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested last month that a regime change in Tehran was on the horizon... "Therefore, the U.S. should support these minorities both militarily and politically to secure their regions, which would, in turn, protect the interest of the West"...

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance indicated Saturday that US and Israeli interests won’t always overlap, tying this stance to his opposition to a war with Iran... “Sometimes we’re going to have overlapping interests, and sometimes we’re going to have distinct interests. And our interest very much is in not going to war with Iran. It would be a huge distraction of resources. It would be massively expensive to our country,” added the running mate of former president Donald Trump...

A treaty that Russia and Iran intend to sign shortly will include closer defence cooperation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday... "It will confirm the parties' desire for closer cooperation in the field of defence and interaction in the interests of peace and security at the regional and global levels," Lavrov said. He did not specify what form the defence ties would take...

<excerpt> All of this, in the view of the Biden administration, should provide ample reason for America’s Arab allies and partners in the Middle East to join the United States — if not militarily, then at least vocally — in countering the Houthis. But the Egyptians, the Saudis and other Arab states, for the most part, are resisting Washington’s entreaties... The Saudis and Emiratis fought a years-long war against the Houthis and have no interest in becoming entangled in a new conflict with the group, experts said. And in an environment where Iran is geographically close, and the United States has left some Arab states feeling that it is an unreliable partner, the leaders of those countries have increasingly expanded their outreach to Tehran and see little upside to provoking its proxies. American credibility in the region has fallen further with Washington’s unflinching support for Israel over the past year, as tens of thousands of Palestinians have died in Gaza and footage of bloodied children circulates daily on news and social media... </excerpt>

The Biden administration warned the Iraqi government that if it doesn't prevent an Iranian attack from its soil, it could face an Israeli attack on its territory, two U.S. officials told Axios... Sullivan and Blinken also told al-Sudani he must not allow Iran to conduct an attack against Israel from Iraqi territory, the U.S. officials said. "If you don't, we won't be able to stop Israel from striking Iraq," a U.S. official quoted the Biden administration's message to the Iraqi prime minister...