US hawks are seeking to make the prospects for negotiations with Iran look dimmer than ever and Washington's designation of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a terrorist organization could bring US President Donald Trump on board their warmongering agenda, a political expert said.
"With the recent move against IRGC, the neoconservatives took a step toward convincing Trump that he should stop pursuing the idea of holding talks with Iran," Rahman Qahremanpour also told ISNA in a recent interview.
On April 8, Trump named the IRGC a terrorist group, in an unprecedented step that prompted Tehran to designate the United States Central Command—which is responsible for the Middle East and Central Asia—as a terrorist organization and the US government as a sponsor of terror.
The action by Trump, who has taken a hard line toward Iran by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposing broad economic sanctions, marks the first time the US has formally labeled another nation's military a terrorist group.
Qahremanpour maintains that the US decision could help politicians advocating the use of military force against Iran regain their voice and persuade Trump that there is no point in following the path of dialogue.
The US president said last year he would be willing to hold talks with Tehran without preconditions to discuss how to improve ties after he abandoned the nuclear accord.
Iranian authorities have slapped down the offer of direct talks, arguing that America cannot be trusted as it has a tendency to renege on its commitments.
Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and his reimposition of sanctions validated the Iranian stance that he is unreliable.
Iranian Patience
Qahremanpour said the neoconservatives' attempts to push Trump to turn up the heat on Iran by naming the IRGC a terrorist group was meant to test the Iranians' tolerance on an issue that is viewed as a "redline".
"If Iran does not quit the nuclear deal or take any other drastic measure in response, they can prove to Trump that Iran does not seek dialogue and will not come to the negotiating table through such moves," he said.
“Even if the Islamic Republic responds more strongly to the US decision on IRGC, it will play into the hands of American warmongers.”
The expert on international affairs noted that Trump would emerge a winner in this scenario.
“It is clear that he is against war and military conflict, but he believes that the easiest way to force a [potential] trade partner into negotiations and gain concessions from it is by issuing threats of war," he said.
Asked why trade ties are more important for the US leader than political relations, Qahremanpour said, "Trump does not act on the basis of security parameters. Otherwise, he would not have taken the dangerous step of branding IRGC a terrorist group. He views countries from the trade perspective and uses every possible means to achieve his objectives."
On the possibility of a military confrontation between Iran and the US, the analyst said it is unlikely that Trump would accede to the demands of belligerent politicians on starting a war with the Islamic Republic anytime soon.
"Talks between the US and North Korea took place despite opposition from the neoconservatives and showed that Trump makes policy decisions more independently than assumed by the public," he said.
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have met twice, in Hanoi in February and Singapore in June, but have failed to agree on a deal to lift sanctions in exchange for Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.
