Does Trump have political support for his actions in Iran? : NPR
We look at what President Trump’s decision to attack Iran means, what kind of support he has in Iran, and what this moment means for his administration.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The United States and Israel attack Iran. Strikes have hit several Iranian cities in what President Trump calls major combat operations. This comes as further discussions are planned on Iran’s nuclear program next week in Vienna. NPR’s Ron Elving joins us now. Ron, I’m glad to have you today.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Nice to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: Just a few days ago, in his State of the Union address, President Trump said he would choose diplomacy over military action. And we had heard that the latest round of negotiations between the two countries could have been productive, with more planned in Vienna next week. And yet today the president is calling for the overthrow of the Iranian government. What is the number here?
ELVING: Different rhetoric for different times. It’s no surprise that Trump told Congress and 32 million television viewers that he would prefer diplomacy. If he had told them what he was apparently planning, there would have been no further news of this speech. Yesterday we received some indicators that the tone of the negotiations may have improved. It has also been reported that Iran’s missile program is not as advanced or poses as significant a threat as once thought, and this program appears to be a major target of these strikes.
SIMON: What kind of support does President Trump have for these strikes?
ELVING: It’s far from certain right now, but war with Iran was not at the top of the priority list for much of Trump’s support base. He was elected on a promise to focus more on issues closer to home. But there are still Iran hawks in Washington, people who think its behavior on the world stage – Iran’s behavior – should not be tolerated – and also people who see the regime’s crimes against its own people, the Iranians, as an urgent call for a response. Recent street protests have been met with extreme violence from the regime. Thousands of people were killed, perhaps tens of thousands.
SIMON: President Trump also brought up the U.S. hostage crisis of 1979, when some Iranian revolutionaries took U.S. embassy staff hostage for 444 days. For those who don’t remember this story, it’s an event that really shaped the way almost every U.S. administration views Iran, right?
ELVING: Yes, indeed. And it clearly showed how angry many Iranians were at America, at our relationship with their deposed dictator, the Shah. This anger certainly included Islamist fundamentalists, but it was widespread in Iran. But speaking of those who don’t remember, that represents a clear majority of Americans. Scott, this happened almost 50 years ago, and the average age of an American today is 40 years old. But of course, Trump remembers it well because he will soon be 80 years old.
SIMON: And, Ron, how – politically, how crucial could this moment be for the administration?
ELVING: We won’t know until we come back to it. Will this succeed? How will success be defined? Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu says the goal here is regime change. Will this also be the objective of the United States? What if this goal is not achieved?
SIMON: And, Ron, at the moment there appear to be no plans to send ground troops to Iran. East…
ELVING: Yeah.
SIMON: …Is that your indication?
ELVING: Yes. That’s all we hear, both from the administration and from military sources. This is not a new Iraq. This happens over and over again, but almost nothing turns into a disaster. Usually, when we find ourselves in a situation abroad, it is with limited objectives. And what happens next determines what those limits actually will be.
SIMON: NPR’s Ron Elving. Thank you very much for being with us today.
ELVING: Thank you, Scott.
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