Aftandilian in The Arab Weekly on Trump and Iran
Gregory Aftandilian, Lecturer at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, published a recent Op-Ed on United States President Donald Trump’s desire to avoid war with Iran.
Aftandilian’s Op-Ed, entitled “What’s Behind Trump’s Statements About Avoiding War With Iran?” was published in The Arab Weekly on September 21, 2019.
From the text of the article:
Despite his tough rhetoric against the Iranian regime and his occasional sabre-rattling, especially considering what were likely Iranian attacks on Saudi oil facilities, US President Donald Trump has emphasised that he wants to avoid war with Tehran.
The question arises as to why he is seemingly taking the war option off the table. After all, countries such as Iran would only fear the United States if they believe US threats are credible. If not, they could perceive the United States as a toothless tiger.
Why would Trump seem eager for a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rohani, given that there is very little likelihood that the Iranians would agree to zero nuclear enrichment as a condition for a new deal and a possible rapprochement with the United States?
The reasons are partly political, partly bureaucratic and partly egotistical.
Aftandilian spent over 21 years in government service, most recently on Capitol Hill where he was foreign policy adviser to Congressman Chris Van Hollen (2007-2008), professional staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and foreign policy adviser to Senator Paul Sarbanes (2000-2004), and foreign policy fellow to the late Senator Edward Kennedy (1999).