Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, told Newsmax on Wednesday that it may be a challenge to get a new government established to lead Iran after U.S. and Israeli attacks against the current leadership.
On "American Agenda," Volker said that new leadership representative of Iran's entire population would be welcome.
"That's something that we would all want to see. But you have a very entrenched regime backed up by police, by the military, by the [Islamic] Revolutionary Guard Corps," he said.
Volker explained that the military strikes are going for higher-level targets.
"We're taking out their regional capabilities, their ability to launch missiles, their nuclear program, their navy. But the tools of repression that they have domestically are still largely intact, at least so far," Volker said.
That means establishing a regime significantly different from what has been in place for decades, which he sees as a tall order.
"So it's going to be very difficult for the Iranian people to do that. That's why I think we need to focus on the outcome," Volker said.
He said the end result needs to be in play as the Trump administration and Israeli leaders move against Iran's military.
"I think it is very much in our interest to facilitate the Iranian people putting in place a different regime. But that's going to take a lot more effort to go after the domestic tools of repression that the Iranian regime has," Volker said.
The former NATO ambassador sees little chance that the current attempt in Congress to impose war powers restrictions on President Donald Trump will win majority support.
"At this point in time, I don't think there's any chance of a war powers resolution being passed in either the House or the Senate," Volker said. "The votes are not there."
That is a separate issue, Volker said, from more communication with congressional leaders.
"I think there are some legitimate comments that more could have been done to brief members of Congress and assure congressional support," he said.
Volker says the bigger questions surround how a new regime would develop:
"How does this end? What is the outcome that we are seeking to achieve? Will it be stable? What kind of Iranian regime will we have?"
"That's where the focus needs to be now," he said.
The White House on Wednesday declined to rule out deploying ground troops in Iran, echoing Trump's comments earlier this week, while emphasizing such a move is not part of the current plan for Operation Epic Fury.
"Well, they're not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States or the commander in chief," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing that aired live on Newsmax and the free Newsmax2 streaming platform.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.