The Iranian regime, fearful of both the United States and its country's people, is "trying to thread the needle" on how far it can push toward declaring a nuclear state, retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax Saturday.
"It's trying to thread the needle by showing strength in the face of the West while finding out how they're going to stay alive through this whole thing," Holt, appearing on Newsmax's "Saturday Agenda" with former Trump foreign policy adviser Walid Phares, commented. "They're trying to kick the can down the road, get a weapon, test it, and declare nuclear state status. That's never going to happen."
The United States and Iran held negotiations in Oman Saturday, concerning Tehran's advancing nuclear capabilities, and ended the discussions with promises for more talks and the potential of another high-level meeting next week.
But Holt said that he believes Iran's stalling will "be cut short really soon."
"I believe this last round of talks is probably what we'll see for the last round of talks," he said. "And part of that is going to be our demands that they cut off all support to all the proxies, but we'll see how it goes."
Phares, meanwhile, said the final decision to continue with negotiations is up to the Iranian regime.
"They have to choose to implement or not, or implement or stretch those negotiations as long as they want," he said. "They prefer to gain time because they need to consolidate their control, first of all, inside Iran against the population. And second, we have still Hamas, Hezbollah, and others. So in general terms, the position of the Trump administration is firm, and it's up to the regime to decide if they come closer, they stay where they are or they go backward."
But Iran holds "two cards," said Phares.
"Card number one is that they have they think they have a strategic alliance with Russia and with China and eventually with North Korea," he said. "They think this is a threat against us, that we're not going to allow ourselves to engage in strikes against them, because then they'll have they'll get that help."
But the United States has options too, including to continue with pressure in the region, particularly in Yemen, said Phares.
"In Yemen, we are really limiting and destroying the ability of the Houthis," he said. "And second, that's very important, is that we have the ability to bring in the Iranian opposition in exile to our government. Should it be in Europe or here, take a picture with the president and have the president deliver a speech and tell them, look, if you're not going to come and sign, we have the Iranian people with us. That is a card that I think will be the ultimate one."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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