Analyst Aleksandr Perendzhiev says Trump’s Iran remarks may test Gulf allies as Washington weighs covert buildup and a Middle East NATO model.
Political analyst and reserve colonel Aleksandr Perendzhiev believes Donald Trump’s claim that Iran would need 20 years to recover even if the conflict ended does not match Washington’s actual policy in the Middle East.
According to Perendzhiev, cited by aif.ru, the United States is making loud statements about leaving the war, but taking no practical steps in that direction. He pointed out that the Strait of Hormuz has not been unblocked and no order has been given to withdraw troops from military bases.
In his view, the United States may instead be preparing a covert buildup of its military capabilities in the region. Perendzhiev also did not rule out that Trump’s remarks about what would happen «if we left» could be a way to test the reaction of Persian Gulf states.
He believes Washington wants to understand how ready its allies are to act independently and whether they can be pushed into taking a more active role in the war with Iran.
The expert said this approach reflects an old concept of creating a Middle Eastern version of NATO. Under such a model, Israel and Arab states would play a subordinate role, while the United States would retain the position of the main leader controlling both the European and Middle Eastern tracks.