Will the United States engage in another foreign conflict? This time, it’s Iran, as President Donald Trump suggests military options are on the table.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claims the Middle Eastern country is “prepared” for war.
Nevertheless, the regime remains open to negotiation with the U.S. as Trump weighs possible military intervention in light of nationwide demonstrations that have led to the deaths of at least 544 Iranian citizens.
WorldNetDaily spoke to Ben Varlese, an Army veteran and global security expert. Since 2018, Varlese has provided security consulting services for both public and private sectors – including tactical training, physical and information security, executive protection, protective intelligence, risk management, insider threat mitigation and anti-terrorism.
According to feedback Varlese is receiving from Iranian-Americans, many are “excited to see the potential downfall of the Islamic Republic of Iran regime.” These sources have informed him they are optimistic about the current revolt against the Iranian regime, in contrast to their feelings regarding previous protests.
One of his contacts claims “the regime is in its death throes.” However, the same source is opposed to American involvement and prefers that this revolution be solely an Iranian affair, as any outside intervention would ultimately undermine the messaging and the power of the Iranian people’s voice.
Varlese concurred, but noted that the possible overthrow of the regime is “concerning on several levels.” He explained: “Destabilized states are easy pickings for exploitative Great Power states” such as the United States, Russia and China, as well as regional hegemonic states like Saudi Arabia or Israel. Even non-state actors, including extremist Sunni or Shi’ite extremists like al-Qaida or Hezbollah, take advantage of these situations, as seen in Syria, Libya and Lebanon.
“There is also the concern,” Varlese added, “that if the revolution is successful, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other regime loyalists will form an insurgency like the “Werewolves of post-Nazi Germany” or the Fedayeen Saddam in Iraq during the initial years of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“Similarly, those elements [of the IRGC] might flee to states that would give them safe harbor, allowing them to wreak chaos through any number of avenues,” Varlese warned.
As Iran deteriorates, the future of the country’s nuclear research and development must also be considered.
“The U.S., Saudi Arabia, Israel and Europe, too, to a degree, would want firm guarantees [against the development of nuclear weapons] and oversight to enforce it,” he pointed out, adding that “Israel would be a lot less forgiving about stonewalling and noncompliance.”
However, in Varlese’s view, given the current economic state of Iran, which was largely the catalyst for the protests, “Whatever entity assumes power will likely be hesitant to spend millions of dollars on continuing the Iranian nuclear program, beyond possibly as a legitimate source of energy production.”
