Iran’s forever war: Deal or no deal, Iran’s challenge to America will outlast Trump

Key Points:

• Brett McGurk, a former US national security official, highlights that Iran's revolutionary ideology, rooted since 1979, drives its persistent regional aggression and opposition to the US and Israel, transcending changes in American administrations.
• Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force actively promote this ideology by supporting militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and others, enabling proxy conflicts across the Middle East.
• The 2015 nuclear agreement (JCPOA) constrained Iran’s nuclear program temporarily but failed to alter its regional behavior or revolutionary goals, as evidenced by Supreme Leader Khamenei’s continued calls for Israel’s destruction.
• The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, backed by Iran, and subsequent coordinated regional assaults by Iranian proxies underscore Tehran’s long-term strategy of multi-front pressure against Israel and the US.
• Military actions under President Trump, including targeting Iranian leaders and infrastructure, degraded Iran’s capabilities but did not change its ideological trajectory, suggesting ongoing cycles of conflict unless there is fundamental political change in Iran.