I had missed this Friday news item on Iran:
Trump’s Ukraine envoy says world must reinstate ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran
PARIS, Jan 11 (Reuters) – The world must return to a policy of ‘maximum pressure’ against Iran to turn it into a more democratic country, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg told an Iranian opposition event in Paris on Saturday.
Trump has vowed to return to the policy he pursued in his previous term that sought to wreck Iran’s economy to force the country to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme, ballistic missile programme and regional activities.
‘These pressures are not just kinetic, just not military force, but they must be economic and diplomatic as well‘, Retired Lieutenant-General Kellogg, who is set to serve as Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, told the audience at Paris-based Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
He said there was an opportunity ‘to change Iran for the better’ but that this opportunity would not last forever.
‘We must exploit the weakness we now see. The hope is there, so must too be the action.’
I wonder how official this is. Is Kellogg, who is supposed to be Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, speaking for the future Trump administration?
The Iranian ‘opposition event’ in Paris was by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), also known as the terrorist organization MEK. It had fought on the side of Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war and was later involved in several high casualty terror incidents in Iran.
The MEK has a cult like structure. It is, at least in parts, financed by the U.S. and Israel. It regularly ‘invites’ former western officials to rant against Iran at its events while paying them generous speaking fees.
Kellogg seems to be one their regular well paid ‘guests’:
Kellogg has previously spoken at NCRI events, most recently in November, but his presence in Paris, even if in a personal capacity, suggests the group has the ear of the new U.S. administration. He postponed a trip to European capitals earlier this month until after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
…
Incoming U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also spoken at NCRI events in the past. The group has repeatedly called for the fall of the existing Iranian authorities, although it is unclear how much support it has within Iran.
The MEK has zero support in Iran.
I doubt claims that Iran is strong. But I also doubt claims that Iran is weak. It is a big country with lots of resources and a large population of well educated people.
Kellogg, like many, seems to underestimate what Iran can do.
His sentence, “these pressures are not just kinetic, just not military force, but they must be economic and diplomatic as well,” is a bit weird. What are the kinetic pressures the U.S. is putting on Iran? I do not see any of significance and if there were any “kinetic pressure” Iran would certainly pressure back. Its position in the Persian Gulf would make it painful.
Kellogg should know this. It also notable that Kellogg has previously criticized Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton for trying to instigate a war with Iran.
Thus his rant in front of the MEK looks unserious to me. I also doubt that his speaking for the incoming Trump administration.
We don’t know yet what policies with regards to Iran the incoming Trump administration will really pursue.
It is obvious that Israel’s Netanyahoo wants the U.S. to launch a war against Iran. Trump is duly aware of that. Three days ago he posted a video of a talk Jeffrey Sachs had given at Cambridge Union. Within the clip Trump posted Sachs clearly states that it was Netanyahoo who had dragged and is dragging the U.S. into wars in the Middle East.
Trump posting that video was clearly a warning to Netanyahoo to play games with such stuff. I therefore doubt that Trump wants to do anything “kinetic” to Iran.
Sanctions? – Yes! – “Maximum pressure”? – Yes!
Well … so what?
The Islamic Republic has been under sanctions since its very inception. They have hindered its growth but have never made it concede to whatever the U.S. demanded.
Iran is also a part of BRICS and has well developed economic relations with China and Russia. On Friday Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian will be in Moscow where he will sign a new comprehensive partnership pact with Russia which is said to also cover military aspects of the relation.
It will help Iran to become even more sanctions proved.
Reprinted with permission from Moon of Alabama.
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