Michael Flynn's Statement Indicates a Major Shift in U.S. Policy Towards Iran

The statement made by Michael Flynn, security advisor to Donald Trump, on Wednesday, February 1, indicates that the era of the Obama administration's soft approach towards Iran has ended, according to Ken Weinstein, director of the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. In an exclusive interview with Setareh Derakhshesh, head of the Persian section of Voice of America, Weinstein stated, "This is the first and biggest change in U.S. policy regarding Iran and the nuclear agreement." According to Michael Flynn, President Trump's security advisor, Iran has violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which prohibits Tehran from designing any missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons. On Wednesday, Flynn, in his role as Trump's security advisor, attended a White House press conference for the first time and stated, "From today, we will formally monitor Iran's actions." We should expect harsher and stricter sanctions from Congress. Firstly, the majority of Congress is controlled by Republicans who favor tougher sanctions. Secondly, Iran's actions have made such sanctions more necessary. However, the question is what actions our allies will take in response to Iran's behavior. Will they also seek to impose stricter sanctions? Of course, regarding France, which currently has officials in Tehran or will be sending them, imposing stricter sanctions would be a contradictory action; but the U.S. will do it anyway. Ken Weinstein, in part of his interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, said, "The test of this ballistic missile by Iran was a clear message to the White House and to the new President of the United States, a message that says we will continue the actions we have previously taken both domestically and internationally." Weinstein added, "This is the most blatant violation that has occurred so far, and in my opinion, it has been a major mistake. Donald Trump is not Barack Obama, who believed in 'strategic patience.' Trump will react strongly when he sees that promises are not being kept, and I think we should expect a firm and decisive response from the White House. Moreover, there will be more precise oversight regarding the implementation of the nuclear agreement. The Hudson Institute director further noted, "We must also remember that Mike Pompeo, the new head of the CIA, is the one who revealed the existence of side agreements and secret agreements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (with Iran). He is well aware of Iran's desire to circumvent the 1+5 group and the nuclear agreement and will closely monitor Iran." Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, is scheduled to meet with President Trump by the end of this month and had previously promised to insist on imposing more sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program during this meeting. Mr. Weinstein expressed confidence that Congress will respond to Iran's latest missile test: "We should expect harsher and stricter sanctions from Congress. Firstly, the majority of Congress is controlled by Republicans who favor tougher sanctions. Secondly, Iran's actions have made such sanctions more necessary. However, the question is what actions our allies will take in response to Iran's behavior. Will they also seek to impose stricter sanctions? Of course, regarding France, which currently has officials in Tehran or will be sending them, imposing stricter sanctions would be a contradictory action; but the U.S. will do it anyway." According to Mr. Weinstein, "President Obama preferred to sit back and choose inaction over action. He was that kind of man. He came from an academic background and was a professor. He was someone who feared the consequences of U.S. actions, unlike someone who knows that these actions can actually be used for good purposes. When hundreds of thousands lost their lives in the Syrian civil war, he (Barack Obama) chose silence instead of taking action, instead of sending ground troops there, and instead of increasing aid to Syrian opposition forces." According to the Hudson Institute director, "Donald Trump is a completely different person. Donald Trump will not remain silent. He knows that as a leader, as a man of action, he must act in critical moments. Iran will soon realize that the situation here has changed, and so to speak, a new sheriff has entered town, and as a result, Iran's previous behaviors will not work in the next four years." The Hudson Institute is a conservative think tank located in Washington, D.C., which has been dedicated to research aimed at promoting "security, freedom, and prosperity worldwide" since its establishment in 1961.