Khosh-Cheshm: Netanyahu Has Sent a Message That He Will Not Enter a US–Iran War / Iran Will Enter the Next War With Its Full Power and That of Its Allies

According to Rokna, Mostafa Khosh-Cheshm, a political and international relations analyst, on Saturday night, while appearing in the Tehran studio of Al Mayadeen news network, which is covering developments related to Iran on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, emphasized that the fate of the nuclear negotiations depends on the United States and Donald Trump. However, if the United States launches a war against Iran, Israel will certainly be among the targets, and the flames of war will engulf all US interests in the region.

Everything Depends on Trump

In response to the question of what will happen to the fate of the Muscat negotiations, Khosh-Cheshm said: Everything depends on Trump. Iran has repeatedly stated that it will not relinquish its right to enrichment and will not discuss its regional influence or its defensive and missile capabilities. Iran has red lines for itself and will negotiate only on the nuclear issue. Iran is prepared to maintain enrichment at 3.67 percent, and that within its own territory, in Iran. This round of negotiations could perhaps be called the sixth round, because seven months ago, after five rounds of negotiations, the United States and Israel attacked Iran. They also supported armed activities inside Iran, imposed new sanctions, and activated the snapback mechanism. They also brought a naval fleet close to Iran. Now we are in negotiations, and the future will clarify where this will end. This means that the United States has returned to the situation of about ten months ago. After all of Trump’s threats, if he comes to realize that he has no option other than war, then he will understand how costly this option will be. The issue now depends on the United States and the extent of its pragmatism.

Iran Will Never Yield to Trump’s Threats

In response to the question of what positive steps Iran and the United States could take for negotiations, Khosh-Cheshm said that Donald Trump has never been serious in negotiations except when he needs a deal. The greater threat to Trump is China, and he is now seeking to resolve issues with Iran so that he can turn to matters related to China. Therefore, this time he has motivations to reach an agreement, but Iran is completely cautious, because in the previous instance, in the midst of negotiations, they attacked Iran and killed dozens of Iranian citizens. The Israelis also acknowledged that the previous negotiations were nothing more than a deception against Iran. Therefore, Iran is very cautious and is on full military alert, monitoring every US movement in the region. In the past, we signed a nuclear agreement, but fourteen months later Trump withdrew from it. Despite all the breaches of commitment by the United States and the Europeans, Iran returned to the negotiating table and employed all its capabilities for diplomacy. All of this is to convince the Iranian people and global public opinion that Iran is not seeking war and will respond decisively to any aggression, and that war will engulf the entire region, as the Leader of the Islamic Revolution warned in this regard. It appears that Trump has now adopted the same approach, namely threats, intimidation, and displays of power to force Iran to submit to US dictates. But Iran will by no means submit to US dictates. I believe we should give at least a few weeks to see what outcome will emerge.

The United States in the Region Is Within Iran’s Reach

In response to the question of how Iran is preparing militarily for a possible attack, Khosh-Cheshm said that Iran has fully prepared itself by every means it could. The United States is weak in the region and is within Iran’s reach. The United States has many military assets in the region that are extremely valuable to it. I do not mean only US military bases and naval fleets. Rather, it has many other assets in the Persian Gulf countries. As Iranian commanders stated a few days ago, all related targets are legitimate for Iran. Therefore, these assets are used to support the US military logistically, including intelligence, financial, communications, and transportation institutions and entities, and all of these constitute vulnerabilities for the United States in proximity to Iran.

War in the Region Would Destroy the Global Economy

Khosh-Cheshm added that for this reason Iran has warned that all of these assets are legitimate targets for Tehran. Therefore, Iran has many options in addition to measures such as closing the Strait of Hormuz, which it can shut in various ways, leading to a surge in oil prices. We are facing a barrel of gunpowder that could explode at any moment. If war breaks out in this region, no one can guarantee that energy prices will remain as they are and they may double or triple, not only due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but because the flames of war would spread throughout the entire region. This could destroy the global economy, including the economies of Europe and the United States, and the entire world economy.

This would therefore have very negative consequences for Donald Trump, because the economic situation in the United States is poor and the midterm elections are approaching in a few months. If a widespread or prolonged war with Iran breaks out, it would have extremely negative consequences for Trump’s political future. Trump currently holds a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but if he starts a war with Iran, he will lose at least the majority in one chamber or both. He operates according to rules he laid out in his book on the art of negotiation, believing that pressure should be applied on one side while intimidating the other side in order to extract the desired costs. We see how Trump treats the world and what tariffs he has imposed on countries, even US allies. Countries that yielded to Trump’s pressure were defeated, but countries like China that stood up to the United States saw Trump retreat. If you retreat in front of Trump, he leaves nothing for you. Iranians have learned this lesson.

Netanyahu Has Sent a Message That He Will Not Enter a US–Iran War

Khosh-Cheshm added that this issue is very different when it comes to a war between Israel and Iran, because Iran has made a firm decision to respond to any war with a regional war. Therefore, I doubt that the Israelis would enter such a war. Netanyahu said that he asked Trump: if you can destroy the Islamic Republic, then go ahead and do it, and if you cannot, then do nothing. Therefore, through Russia, they sent a message that they will not enter a US war against Iran.

Of course, Israel would be one of Iran’s targets if the United States attacks. A former Israeli defense minister has said that Israel should not enter a US war against Iran, because we were very painfully hit by Iranian missiles, and institutions such as the Weizmann Institute were targeted, and we are not ready for a new war. US and Israeli media are full of such figures making these statements, saying that Israel is not ready for war. I believe that war will eventually occur, even after a few years, but they are not ready now.

All US Interests in the Region Will Become Fuel for the Flames of War

In response to the question of what would make Iran’s response to a potential aggression at this stage different from its response during the 12-day war, Khosh-Cheshm said that there are major differences. In the previous war, Iran responded only through its missile force. The response was proportionate to the attack and aimed at stopping it. But at this stage, Iran will use its naval capabilities, the IRGC, the Army, the missile force, and all its armed forces, and this means a comprehensive war. Iran has repeatedly stated that all US interests in the region will become fuel for the flames of war.

Iran Will Enter the Next War With Its Full Power and That of Its Allies

Khosh-Cheshm added that Tehran will be ready to use the capabilities of its allies in the region, such as Yemeni forces who have threatened that if the United States attacks Iran, Ansarullah will attack US ships in the Red Sea. Iraqi forces have also said that they are waiting to strike US interests if a war is imposed on Iran. At this stage, Iran will employ all the power at its disposal to stop a US attack. Iran has emphasized that US naval fleets and bases are targets of Iranian missiles. According to Israeli media, Iran has filled its stockpiles with missiles it has produced, to quantities greater than those during the 12-day war, and has placed them at the disposal of the Army and the IRGC, and will pursue naval, missile, and other forms of warfare. This is a regional and comprehensive war. General Mousavi recently announced, and the Leader also stated, that any attack on Iran will set the entire region ablaze. This is not new at all. Last year, Iran warned its neighbors in the Persian Gulf that if the United States enters a war with Iran from its bases in these countries, the flames of war will consume all of them.