Iranian Regime Waging a War on the US for Half a Century: Middle East Historian

Israel launching a new onslaught of strikes targeting energy locations and resources in Iran's capital, Tehran. Joining us now to discuss this is Jacob Oledourde, Middle East historian and director of the American Security Center at the America First Policy Institute. Jacob, so good evening to you. Thank you for joining us today. Now, this is happening as Gulf states are reporting more damage to infrastructure over the weekend as Iran continues to attack these regional countries. Can I just ask you to start off here? What is Iran's game plan? Because Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Iran's actions are actually pushing more countries toward the U.S. Well, that's right. He's exactly right. And look, right now the regime is in complete psychological chaos in that they've lost several layers of leadership politically and militarily, obviously with the decapitation, obviously, of several layers of their leadership at the top there. And so what you're seeing is kind of panic and a lack of coordination, which is a result of losing this command and control structure. But I think the attacks as well point to the fact that all of our partners as well are targets of Iran's escalation. It's not just Israel, it's not just ourselves, that the entire neighborhood is a target for the regime. And Jacob, I just reported earlier that a new leader could have been named. So President Trump says he needs to be personally involved in the selection process for a new leader. So, I mean, it looks like Khamenei's son right now seems to be at least succeeding the position. How do you think this dynamic is going to play out? Well, the U.S. objective is clear and consistent all along since the president's address on February 28th in the morning, that the objective here is protecting the American people against threats, leveled against them by the Iranian regime. And that includes from the leadership as well. And so I think right now that remains the focus. And I think that's my sense is that's what the president is alluding to as well, is degrading the military, degrading their capabilities and their possibility of waging threats against the American people. So, Jacob, another thing President Trump said was that there's not going to be any deal with Iran except unconditional surrender. Can you just talk to us about, in your mind, what does unconditional surrender actually mean for Iran, for the regime in Iran? Well, this regime has been waging a war against the American people for half a century, and its threats are geographic in nature through its proxies and terror network all the way to our hemisphere. And it's also primarily in its capabilities, its nuclear and its ballistic missile programs, as well as its drones and other types of capabilities. And so these are, we know, of course, that Iran regime is aggressively seeking to advance these and these capabilities. These are also the targets of US and Israeli strikes for the last week, is degrading their capabilities, the launchers, the factories in which they're produced. You mentioned the fuel facilities as well, on which these rely. All of that is essential to ensuring these, the regime does not pose a threat to the American people or to others around the world. So do you think that the Iranian regime will ever stop fighting, or is it going to fight until the end, until all its regime personnel are eliminated? What do you think is going to happen? Yeah, I think this regime very much, we'll see what it looks like. But obviously, they're not giving up. And that's what the president referred to as well. These are very bad actors, very ideologically motivated. And obviously, they've created this apparatus over the course of decades, only to create destruction. They haven't cared at all about governance, but the people of Iran, their sole focus was creating destruction and harming the United States. And so I think we're seeing a regime that's desperate, but still very intent on fighting. So Jacob, I'm thinking here, if we do get a new regime, a new government in Iran, how do we know for sure it won't go back to how it was before? How do we make sure the new government doesn't see a repeat of history? I think it's too early to tell what will happen if and when this regime collapses, what comes next. Obviously, you know, it's a big country, Iran, and many different communities, ethnicities live there. And so it really, and the opposition so far, you know, is not yet organized, doesn't appear to have any single voice dominate. But I think the Vice President said it correctly, that the fate of the regime, whatever happens, is incidental to our objectives there, which are again, to protect the American people from threats. Okay, on that note, just one final question. How does it matter to the American people? Why is it in the US's interest? Absolutely. Well, you have to look back again, at the very rhetoric at the regime's founding, and throughout where they talk about a big Satan and death to America. But it's also in its actions and look at the 1983 Beirut bombing that claimed 241 US service members, USS Cole, and other terrorist attacks, as well as threats and attacks against US personnel in the Middle East, hundreds of whom were killed by Iran, or by its proxies. This is not to mention assassination attempts, putting on the President. This is a regime that's consistent and focused on causing as much destruction as much harm to the American people. And is, by the way, also integral to conflicts around the world, whether you look at Putin's escalation against Ukraine, which depends on Iranian missiles, and drones, all the way, as I mentioned, to the Western Hemisphere, where the regime has created partnerships with cartels, all for the sole reason of threatening the American people. Well, all right, Jacob, let's leave it there for today. Great comments. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you for having me.