AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Colin Clarke, Executive Director of The Soufan Center and an analyst of international security issues, emphasizing the limits of military power against Iran, stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not a country that can be forced to surrender or be toppled through military pressure. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said, "The Iranians are not going to surrender. Iran is not a paper tiger that can be toppled like Venezuela."
In his assessment of the war and regional tensions, Clarke also stated that the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon is more related to Benjamin Netanyahu's internal political situation than to security considerations. According to him, Netanyahu needs the wartime atmosphere to continue in order to avoid internal political and judicial consequences. The American analyst said, "I don't solely attribute the issue to Israel; rather, I associate it with Netanyahu's need to keep the war machine going to evade judicial accountability."
The Executive Director of The Soufan Center then emphasized the decisive role of the United States in the continuation or cessation of the war, stating that without Washington's support, the continuation of such a war is impossible. According to him, just as Netanyahu can convince Donald Trump to start a war, the U.S. president is also capable of reducing pressure and ending the war by changing his approach.
In another part of his remarks, Clarke emphasized the necessity for Washington to understand field realities and stated that U.S. decision-makers must accept that military power alone cannot achieve all political objectives. He noted that the notion of forcing Iran into complete surrender or rapidly changing its political structure is inconsistent with geopolitical realities and Iran's capabilities.
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