How Iran’s Supreme Leader Is Outmatching Trump
The United States appears to be backing down in a test of wills that Iran expert Reuel Marc Gerecht calls the most “important moment since the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein.”
Reuel Marc Gerecht is a former CIA case officer and an expert on Iran who is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Gerecht, a Persian speaker who tends toward hard-line views on Iran, has devoted much of his career to studying the internal political dynamics of the country, including the rule of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the 30 years since his ascension to power in 1989. Gerecht spoke to Foreign Policy about his concerns following last week’s major attack on Saudi oil facilities, which U.S. and Saudi officials believe was sponsored or orchestrated by Iran. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Michael Hirsh is a columnist for Foreign Policy. He is the author of two books: Capital Offense: How Washington’s Wise Men Turned America’s Future Over to Wall Street and At War With Ourselves: Why America Is Squandering Its Chance to Build a Better World. Twitter: @michaelphirsh
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