A reverse Tehran with a twist?
A government of hardliners seemingly reveals an opening for moderates. Will that create a window for world-shifting negotiations? Barack Obama thought so when that described Iran, but will Iran think so after reading the Washington Post’s curious inside look at a supposedly pitched battle within the White House? Because it certainly reads as if that’s the objective:
The Trump administration has been on high alert in response to what military and intelligence officials have deemed specific and credible threats from Iran against U. S. personnel in the Middle East.
But President Trump is frustrated with some of his top advisers, who he thinks could rush the United States into a military confrontation with Iran and shatter his long-standing pledge to withdraw from costly foreign wars, according to several U. S. officials. Trump prefers a diplomatic approach to resolving tensions and wants to speak directly with Iran’s leaders.…
“They are getting way out ahead of themselves, and Trump is annoyed,” the official said. “There was a scramble for Bolton and Pompeo and others to get on the same page.”
Bolton, who advocated regime change in Iran before joining the White House last year, is “just in a different place” from Trump, although the president has been a fierce critic of Iran since long before he hired Bolton.
