March 31, 2026 | The Washington Post
Iran is not Venezuela, President Trump, and this man is no moderate
Seeking a shortcut out of Iran, the administration considers its Venezuela playbook.
March 31, 2026 | The Washington Post
Iran is not Venezuela, President Trump, and this man is no moderate
Seeking a shortcut out of Iran, the administration considers its Venezuela playbook.
Excerpt
News of more troop movements and indirect diplomacy notwithstanding, there are signs that the Trump administration is seeking a shortcut out of Iran.
According to Politico, the White House is reportedly weighing the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as a potential partner and future leader. One administration official, calling Ghalibaf “a hot option,” exposed the administration’s logic: Find someone pragmatic to install at the top, secure favorable energy terms and declare victory. Call it a path of least resistance to “regime change.”
Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow and senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran program. Andrew Ghalili is policy director of the National Union for Democracy in Iran.