General McMaster's Statements on the New U.S. Strategy to Counter Iran's Actions

General Herbert Raymond McMaster, National Security Advisor at the White House, stated on Thursday, October 19, that President Donald Trump's new strategy regarding Iran is not solely focused on the implementation of the nuclear agreement or the JCPOA, but rather encompasses all of Iran's destabilizing actions. Speaking at the 'Foundation for Defense of Democracies,' General McMaster noted that the U.S. government employs all intelligence, military, and economic tools in its strategies, stating that the president's new strategy towards Iran is a good example of this. Instead of solely focusing on the JCPOA or the nuclear agreement, this strategy includes all of Iran's destabilizing actions in the region. He went on to mention several of Iran's actions, including financial support for terrorism, backing the crimes of the Assad regime, hostility towards Israel, jeopardizing free navigation, especially in the Persian Gulf, and threats to U.S. allies in the Gulf, as well as human rights violations and arbitrary detentions of foreigners, including American citizens based on false claims. According to General McMaster, the goal of the new U.S. strategy is to neutralize all of Iran's 'destabilizing actions' in the region. He also emphasized that the new American strategy seeks to revive alliances with traditional allies in the region to establish a balance of power. The National Security Advisor further stated that we must align the international community to condemn human rights violations and the detention of American citizens by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This reference includes individuals such as Siamak and Baqer Namazi, Xiao Wang, and Karen Vafadari, an Iranian-American citizen currently imprisoned in Iran. Additionally, Nizar Zaka and Afrin Nissari, the wife of Mr. Vafadari, who hold U.S. green cards, are also detained by the Iranian government. In another part of his speech, General McMaster addressed factors threatening global order and discussed the role of Iran and Russia in supporting the Syrian regime, stating that Iran and Russia help sustain the criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. This axis is a factor in the continuation of civil and ethnic wars and, on the other hand, strengthens terrorist Islamists who present themselves as supporters of the people. The National Security Advisor stated that Iran uses the wars in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen as a tool to expand its hegemony in the region and threatens countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia with its proxy forces. Iran rejects U.S. accusations regarding destabilizing actions in the region.