Trump is expected to increase threats against Iran: expert
Kurk Dorsey, a professor of political science and international relations and history at the University of New Hampshire, said that Trump has an unpredictable personality and therefore could easily be influenced and make wrong decisions, which increases the likelihood of war.
What follows is a summary of ILNA's conversation with Kurk Dorsey, a professor of political science and international relations and history at the University of New Hampshire, about tensions between Iran and the West and the outlook for events in the region:
ILNA: While great powers typically have greater influence in international organizations, how can the principle of mutual respect and equality of all countries be promoted in the international system?
Kurk Dorsey: This is a very big question that has been the subject of debate among political scientists for decades! The starting point is for each country to recognize the right of other countries to exist. This could start with a change in Russia's attitude towards Ukraine.
ILNA: What is the role of international organizations in achieving this goal?
Kurk Dorsey: The United Nations can play a role, but the power of the UN is only as great as the will of its members, especially the five permanent members of the Security Council, and it must be realistic that countries have different concerns in this regard. For example, the Iranian government expresses dissatisfaction with the US support for Israel, while European countries are concerned about one UN member (Russia) trying to defeat another (Ukraine) with the support of countries like Iran and China. Perhaps we all have our own blind spots.
ILNA: Do you think Trump's policies toward Iran will be different from his previous approaches or those of other US presidents? What impact will these differences have on regional and international equations?
Kurk Dorsey: I expect Trump to pursue similar policies toward Iran as his first term. During that term, his main motivation was to ignore any achievements made by President Obama. Trump generally has no new ideas, as he claims that his first term policies toward Iran worked well.
ILNA: Given the United States' withdrawal from the JCPOA during the Trump presidency, how can this agreement be revived or something similar be established?
Kurk Dorsey: I don't think Trump is interested in working with the current Iranian government, so reviving the JCPOA is not possible. I expect Trump to turn more to threatening Iran to force it to back down.