New Plan to Counter Iran Shared with Incoming Trump Administration “`

January 14, 2025 by No Comments

A report submitted to the Trump transition team proposes aggressive measures to counter the Iranian regime shortly before President-elect Trump’s inauguration.

According to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, President-elect Trump has a unique opportunity to confront Iran during a period of the regime’s considerable weakness. He suggested using diplomatic, informational, military, and economic strategies to hold Tehran accountable, thereby fostering regional stability and a new Middle East.

The UANI report, “A Blueprint for the Incoming Trump Administration on Iran,” provides a strategic framework for confronting Iran and has been shared with the Trump transition team.

Wallace stated that since 1979, Iran has been the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, a major source of instability in the Middle East, and has brutally suppressed its own people with impunity.

The report recommends a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach, encompassing diplomatic, informational, military, and economic strategies, in collaboration with allies, to hold Iran accountable for its destabilizing actions in the region.

Co-author Jason Brodsky noted that Iran fears the incoming Trump administration, presenting a strategic opportunity for the U.S. and its allies to leverage that fear to advance their interests. He cautioned against hasty diplomacy, as this could undermine this advantageous situation.

The report details specific policy recommendations to weaken Iran, starting with a pressure campaign to limit the regime’s options.

The report suggests the U.S. should learn from Israel’s approach to military action against the Islamic Republic, focusing on methods to avoid wider conflict.

Brodsky stated that if Israel can strike without escalating the conflict, the U.S. can do so as well. The authors recommend that President-elect Trump issue a strong policy statement warning Tehran that the U.S. would use military force to destroy Iran’s nuclear program if it continues to advance its capabilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s early December report revealed Iran’s enrichment of uranium to weapons-grade levels. French President Emmanuel Macron described Iran’s nuclear program as nearing a “point of no return,” a sentiment shared by many who view it as a means of gaining leverage against the incoming Trump administration.

The report further suggests that the incoming administration could conduct targeted strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, Quds Force, and Intelligence Ministry assets within Iran if Iran or its proxies harm Americans. Targeted strikes should also be used against Iran’s repressive apparatus through cyber and kinetic means in response to the violent suppression of protestors, as seen in 2009 following the disputed presidential election and in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini.

The report highlights the lack of U.S. strikes or sanctions directly targeting the Islamic Republic, noting that this has only emboldened Iran. Brodsky explained that this dynamic allows Iran to weigh the benefits against the costs of operations targeting Americans, and to doubt U.S. resolve to defend its interests. The incoming Trump administration should alter this calculation, and one way to do so is to hold Iran’s regime accountable on Iranian soil for the terrorism of its proxies. The U.S. should also establish a military defector program and encourage defections from the regime by political and military actors, including within the Revolutionary Guard and other security forces.

Iran’s substantial oil exports are a major source of revenue, enabling its support for terrorism across the Middle East through its “Axis of Resistance” proxy networks. In 2024, Iran exported 587 million barrels of oil, a 10.75% increase over the previous year, driven by OPEC cuts and weak sanctions enforcement.

Claire Jungman, co-author and director of the Tanker Tracking Program and UANI chief of staff, stated that Iran’s oil exports have surged to nearly 2 million barrels per day—the highest in five years—under President Biden’s administration, reflecting weakened sanctions enforcement and the impact of billions in unfrozen assets. She added that the incoming Trump administration has a critical opportunity to halt Tehran’s illicit revenue streams and restore maximum pressure on the regime.

Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and a key source of regional instability, supporting groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, the latter responsible for the October 7th attacks against Israel. The State Department estimates that Iran provides approximately $100 million annually to Hamas and about $700 million yearly to Hezbollah.

UANI cautions against negotiations with Tehran, viewing such efforts as a way for Iran to buy time and avoid pressure. Ambassador Wallace believes the previous maximum pressure campaign was effective and should be reinstated, especially given the regime’s setbacks and its involvement in regional conflict with Israel since October 7th.

Wallace concluded that with the loss of its proxies and the support of the Iranian people, the Iranian regime’s days are numbered, and the Iranian people will eventually rise up against the weakened and corrupt mullahs.

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