Sebastian Gorka: The Iranian Government Has Become Much Weaker Than Before

Sebastian Gorka, the director of counter-terrorism at the U.S. National Security Council, emphasized the severe weakness of the Islamic Republic and the continued maximum pressure from the U.S. on the Iranian government in an exclusive interview with Voice of America. On Wednesday, February 13, during the annual meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, titled 'Countering the Spread of Terrorism and Proxy Forces in the Middle East,' Gorka stated in an interview with Kambiz Tavana, a reporter for Voice of America, that 'the Iranian government has become much weaker than before, and this is beneficial for deserving countries.' The full text of this exclusive interview is as follows: Dr. Gorka, you manage the counter-terrorism office at the National Security Council. Given that every time the name of terrorists comes up, the Islamic Republic of Iran is at the top of the list, what is your assessment of the current threat from the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups and their activities in the region? The position of President Donald Trump and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is very clear. [The Islamic Republic] of Iran is currently considered the largest supporter of terrorism in the world. Despite this fact, since October 7, the regional reality has changed significantly. The brave operations of Israel and the Israeli army have led to the creation of a new map, and with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the Iranian government has become much weaker than before, which is beneficial for deserving countries. Dr. Gorka, Joe Biden, in his first action after taking office, removed the Houthis from the list of foreign terrorist organizations. I believe that the Houthis and Iraqi militias still represent the largest weapon of the Islamic Republic. In your opinion, what is the best approach regarding such a four-year policy? I simply say that there must be close coordination with the activities of the President, the National Security Council, and Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor to Donald Trump, regarding various threatening groups. Currently, due to the imminent threat of cartels and fentanyl, the addition of cartels to the list of foreign terrorists is the next news that we will announce with its implementation. However, any group, including the Houthis, ISIS-Khorasan, al-Qaeda, or cartels, that poses a threat to America and its citizens will face action from President Trump. Dr. Gorka, the first time the Trump administration spoke of maximum pressure, you discussed it. This time, President Trump has reintroduced the maximum pressure campaign but has also made statements about a reluctance to apply too much pressure. In your opinion, what message is the White House trying to send? The message is very clear. We prefer to use the hardest tools at our disposal outside of military confrontation because we want things to be resolved in a friendlier manner globally, but sometimes this is not possible. When our military, our citizens, our partners, or our allies are threatened and do not respond to diplomatic pressure, other actions such as sanctions must be taken. Therefore, it is a simple message. We do not want to resort to negative state tools, but sometimes this approach is completely necessary against incompatible regimes. Israel has already retaliated twice in response to attacks from the Islamic Republic, and reports suggest that the Islamic Republic currently lacks significant defensive capabilities. Do you think a third Israeli attack would lead to the destruction of the [Iranian government’s] nuclear program? Do you or the government consider this option worth examining or a top priority? I do not speak on behalf of the Israeli government and recommend that you interview members of the Israeli government about this. The positive point about our friends in Jerusalem is that based on final analysis, they will always take necessary actions to protect their people. In the realm of American policy, [Donald Trump] the President explicitly stated this week that [the Islamic Republic] must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. We are talking about a regime that has destabilized the entire region. This is a regime that has openly conspired to kill members of the U.S. government and apparently President Donald Trump himself. Therefore, trusting this regime, assuming it possesses the most destructive weapon in human history, is an unacceptable idea and contrary to common sense. The position of the President and Israel on this matter is clear.