Former Trump counterterrorism chief Joe Kent warned that further escalation of the Iran war could carry significant economic and political risks for the U.S. ahead of the midterm elections.
Joe Kent Touts Diplomacy
In a post on the social media platform X, Kent shared an article he wrote alongside Obsidian Risk Advisors’ Managing Principal Brett Erickson, where he pointed out that Americans remain opposed to the war, energy costs have surged and Iran believes that “catastrophic damage to the global economy” could bring about an end to the war.
“Escalating the Iran war risks disastrous consequences for very little gain. Ending the war is President Trump’s best option,” Kent said in the post.
“Despite enormous destruction, decapitation strikes against Iranian leadership and the imposition of a blockade that has lasted more than 100 days, Iran is still standing,” the article said, touting a $100 billion impact via U.S. bombings on Iran.
The article also pointed to Iran’s capability to target vessels away from the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, but said that pulling out of the war by declaring victory would reduce Iran’s leverage over the shipping routes and “create opportunities for diplomatic progress” between Washington and Tehran.
Notably, on Sunday, Trump said that the war with Iran would end “one way or the other,” while hailing the U.S.’s “victory” over Tehran ahead of November 3rd’s midterm elections.
Mohsen Rezaee Reiterates Iran’s Seven Conditions
Meanwhile, Iran’s Security Chief Mohsen Rezaee warned of ‘terrible blows’ to the ‘aggressor’ with Iran’s ‘new weapons’ via a post on X on Saturday, citing news of a possible escalation against Tehran by the U.S.
“We have said many times that the seven conditions announced by Iran must be fulfilled,” Rezaee said. Iran has touted the seven conditions as crucial to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He added that if the conditions were to be fulfilled, “the path of diplomacy” would be open.
Earlier, Rezaee had warned that there would be no nuclear clearances in Iran if the seven conditions, including a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, removing sanctions on oil exports and ending hostilities across all fronts in the Middle East.
The Security Chief had also said last month that the U.S. had accepted some of the seven conditions put forward by Iran during talks, but said that the response was “inadequate.”
Disclaimer: The post made by Iran’s Security Chief on X was originally in Farsi and has been translated to English.
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