In a new escalation of US rhetoric toward Tehran, President Donald Trump stated that offensive operations and maximum pressure on Iran could continue for up to five weeks, indicating that the United States possesses a massive arsenal of missiles, bombs, and troops ready to support this approach. These statements come at a time of unprecedented tension in relations between Washington and Tehran, with the US president hinting at the possibility of applying the "Venezuelan scenario" in Iran, referring to regime change and a transfer of power.
Call for the army and the Revolutionary Guard to surrender
In a striking move, Trump directly called on the Iranian military and Revolutionary Guard Corps to surrender their weapons, asserting that this option could avert further military escalation. The New York Times quoted the US president as saying that Washington has three "very good" options regarding potential leaders for Iran in the coming phase, reflecting the US administration's desire to see a fundamental change in the power structure in Tehran, similar to what Washington pursued in Venezuela by supporting the opposition and pressuring the ruling regime.
The Venezuelan scenario and lifting sanctions
The US president linked lifting the crippling economic sanctions imposed on Tehran to the presence of a new, "pragmatic" leadership. Trump explained that he is open to restoring economic relations and lifting the embargo if the Iranian people decide to overthrow the current government and choose a leadership that seeks peaceful coexistence, abandoning hostile policies. Analysts point out that invoking the Venezuelan model implies a strategy that relies on economically strangling the regime while simultaneously threatening military action to incite internal unrest.
Background of the tension and its regional effects
These statements are highly significant given the historically tense relationship between the two countries, which has escalated sharply since the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement. Talk of an attack lasting for weeks puts the entire Middle East on edge, given Iran's regional influence and the impact any potential military conflict would have on the security of waterways and global energy supplies. Observers believe that the call for the Iranian armed forces to surrender their weapons is part of a psychological warfare campaign waged by Washington to undermine the military establishment's loyalty to the regime.
In conclusion, Trump left the door slightly ajar for conditional diplomatic solutions, stressing that ultimately it is "up to the Iranian people" to determine their fate, whether by continuing under the weight of sanctions and military threats, or by moving towards political change that opens the door for Iran's return to the international community according to American conditions.
