Washington, DC – In a prominent political analysis reflecting the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned the current US administration against making any gratuitous or hasty concessions to Iran.
These warnings came in a lengthy opinion piece published by Rice in The Wall Street Journal. In it, she highlighted the sweeping geopolitical shifts that the region has witnessed in the wake of recent military operations.
Undermining Tehran’s military and nuclear capabilities
In her article, Condoleezza Rice asserted that Tehran is experiencing an unprecedented state of extreme weakness as a direct result of the recent three-month war waged by the United States in cooperation with its regional and international allies.
Although this extensive military confrontation did not directly lead to the overthrow of the regime or a change of government in Iran, it definitively succeeded in diminishing and weakening Tehran’s military, nuclear, and regional capabilities. This, in her view, paved the way for the emergence of a more stable and balanced Middle East.
“The current weakness of the Iranian regime presents a rare strategic and historic opportunity for Washington to reshape the balance of power in the region without having to make concessions that would undo the effects of the accumulated military pressure.” — Condoleezza Rice
The former Secretary of State explained that the significant damage inflicted on Iran’s conventional forces, the destruction of a large portion of its ballistic missile and drone stockpiles, and the dismantling of its network of regional proxies have decisively weakened Tehran’s ability to project power abroad and threaten its neighbors. In turn, this new equation has resulted in an unprecedented level of joint defense, security, and intelligence cooperation between the United States, Israel, and allied Arab governments.
Results of Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Rage
Rice considered the most important and strategic achievement of the war to be the decisive, powerful, and devastating blow it dealt to Iran’s nuclear program. She noted precisely that the military operations codenamed “Midnight Hammer” and “Epic Wrath” had completely succeeded in destroying critical infrastructure. This had set back Tehran’s nuclear ambitions for many years and made it virtually impossible for Iran to acquire a usable nuclear weapon in the foreseeable future.
In the context of future diplomatic negotiations, Rice issued a stern warning to the Trump administration against releasing frozen Iranian assets and holding companies abroad, or offering any form of economic sanctions relief to Tehran.
She based this warning on bitter past experiences. Iran had used released funds to rebuild its military arsenal and support its proxy militias in the region, rather than to develop its own domestic infrastructure.
In conclusion, Rice emphasized that the option of “no deal” remains far better than accepting a “bad deal” that would give Tehran a lifeline. She asserted that the US administration now has a rare and golden opportunity to keep the Iranian regime in a state of perpetual weakness and permanently prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. This would also pave the way for a stable and secure regional order that serves the interests of the United States and its allies throughout the region.
