Steve Yates

If the opposition was seen as chosen by the United States and our president, then there could be maybe grounds for greater resistance.

A more organic and sort of stepping stones across the river approach seems to be the way they've gone at that.

That might be more what they try with Iran.

But I do think that looking at viable alternatives to the theocratic regime, most of the diaspora agrees with that, which is a fancy way of saying the people who are Iranian that live overseas.

And then I think there are also large parts of Persian culture that are not Islamist.

that could work with that kind of an approach, but it needs to be seen and protected as being the Iranian people's choice.

Yeah, I think it's very shaky, and that's an area where I think

oddly, while people wouldn't attach smart power to the make America great again foreign policy, I think that we've used some very effective levers that are non-military.

We've used our military to cut off the oil.

That is an immense pressure on them.

The movement in Venezuela politically was tied very close to them.

So in terms of political warfare, economic warfare, and economic security, we've really maxed options.

And so I think we've got...

the best shot we've had for this external pressure campaign to maybe give a different path forward.

But what fascinates me is really in Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, and maybe other places, we're really seeing a very sophisticated approach to easing these transitions without America going in to push it too far and have it blow up back on us.

Well, I think there is a pretty clear sense.

And, you know, in our country, I don't think enough Americans appreciate the fact that the Iranian regime has threatened to kill our president more than once over the history of this dispute.

That kind of matters.

I mean, just remember, presidents are human beings, but also you just can't allow that if you are a sovereign power and a global power.

And these other regional allies, believe me, they have suffered under assassination attempts and other kinds of violence against them.