Experts warn Iran’s nuclear double-talk designed to buy time, undermine US pressure

Senior Iranian officials are threatening to ramp up the country’s nuclear program as the Trump administration weighs a possible strike against the regime if Tehran does not come to the table for negotiations.

“The president should be making the regime sweat, pure and simple,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

“This can be done with strict enforcement of maximum pressure sanctions, and a targeted campaign against regime assets in the region – Yemen being a good example now. Washington will also need to add a critical third element to its otherwise economic and military pressure policy. Maximum support for the Iranian people.”

Houthi

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea attends a rally held by protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, to show support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sanaa, Yemen, on Nov. 22, 2024. (REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah)

In an interview with Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies podcast, “The Iran Breakdown,” former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that eventually, Israel will attack Iran’s nuclear facility, with or without the United States, because there is no other choice, according to Lapid.

Ali Larijani, an advisor to the supreme leader, said in an interview that although Iran does not seek a nuclear weapon, Tehran will have no choice but to build a nuclear weapon if the U.S. or Israel strike Iran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported in February that Iran has accelerated its nuclear program and has enriched uranium close to weapons-grade levels. 

Danielle Pletka, senior fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital that having additional military assets in the Middle East is sound policy given the threats that the U.S. and its allies face in the region.

For Pletka, the question is, what is the Trump administration looking for?

“A deal in which the Iranians do not fully get rid of their nuclear weapons program? If so, the president sets the United States up for the risk that Barack Obama inflicted on our allies and ourselves – merely delaying the Iranian nuclear program to a later date,” Pletka told Fox News Digital.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Trump

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, and President Donald Trump. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)

Pletka said it is strange that President Trump seems to envision a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)-like deal, and that has prompted a lot of criticism on Capitol Hill. 

Trump originally withdrew from JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, during his first term in 2018 and reapplied harsh economic sanctions. The Biden administration had initially looked at re-engaging with Iran on the nuclear issue upon taking office, but on-again-off-again talks went nowhere, complicated by Iran’s domestic politics and its role in supporting its terror groups in the region.

The other risk that the president runs, according to AEI’s Pletka, is being perceived as a paper tiger.

“He threatened Hamas with bombing that he never delivered. Now he’s threatening Iran with military action. But does he really mean it? Or is he just blowing hot air?” she said.

Pletka said, “There is an enormous amount of uncertainty around the president’s intentions, and that uncertainty is an opportunity for the Iranians to exploit.”

The Middle East Institute’s Vatanka said he believed that Trump could claim a potential win he can sell at home and say he got a better deal than President Obama did with the JCPOA, if Iran were to agree to permanently keep its enrichment level to a low level, unlike the expiration dates included in the JCPOA.

You May Also Like
Whoa: Trump Says He's Pulling Ed Martin's Nom for US Attorney in D.C. -  That's on Tillis

Trump announces withdrawal of Ed Martin’s nomination for U.S. Attorney in D.C., implicates Tillis

President Donald Trump held a press conference in the Oval Office on…
Pete Hegseth says West Point professor who resigned over Trump admin education overhaul 'will not be missed'

Pete Hegseth Claims West Point Professor Who Resigned Due to Trump Administration’s Changes in Education Will Not Be Remembered

A professor at West Point resigned due to changes in education influenced…
ACM Awards 2025 red carpet: Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes and more

Red carpet event at ACM Awards 2025 featuring Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, and other celebrities

Celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, and others grace…
Pope Leo makes moving tribute to his predecessor Francis in first speech as the Holy Father: Read full transcript

Full Transcript of Pope Leo’s Moving Tribute to Predecessor Francis in First Speech as Holy Father

Thank you. Brothers and sisters, dear brothers and sisters. This is the…
'The Eagle Has Landed': Trump Announces Ed Martin's New Role at DOJ

‘The Eagle Has Landed’: Trump Reveals Ed Martin’s New Position at DOJ

President Donald Trump made headlines on Thursday by retracting the nomination of…
2025: Who is the new pope? Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 1st American from Chicago, elected as Catholic Church leader

“Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago elected as the first American Pope in 2025”

CHICAGO (WLS) — Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has…
Harvey Weinstein's alleged rape victim reveals his bombshell claim about Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz

Accuser of Harvey Weinstein shares shocking revelation about Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz

A former model who accused Harvey Weinstein of rape revealed what the…
When Does ‘Matlock’ Return With New Episodes? ‘Matlock’ Season 2, CBS Schedule Info

When will we see new episodes of ‘Matlock’? Find out the airing schedule of season 2 on CBS.

It’s never to early to prepare for the future. CBS has just…
Bryan Kohberger prosecutors will let victims’ families speak, no lay witnesses for sentencing if convicted

Victims’ Families Allowed to Speak at Bryan Kohberger Sentencing if Convicted

The prosecuting attorney in the Bryan Kohberger case, who is accused of…
Pope Leo XIV Chicago: Father William Lego of St. Turibius shares memories of his former classmate Cardinal Robert Prevost

“Pope Leo XIV Chicago: A Reflection on the Life of Cardinal Robert Prevost by Father William Lego of St. Turibius”

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Southwest Side priest is sharing fond memories of…
New Pope Robert Prevost's tweets about Trump and JD Vance resurface and reveal EXACTLY what he thinks of MAGA

Pope Robert Prevost’s old tweets about Trump and JD Vance come back and show precisely his views on MAGA

The new Pope may be American, but he is no fan of…
Pope Leo XIV's has deep roots on Chicago's South Side and south suburbs, including teaching at St. Rita High School

Pope Leo XIV has strong connections to Chicago’s South Side and surrounding suburbs, where he worked as a teacher at St. Rita High School

CHICAGO (WLS) — Pope Leo and his family have a long history…