Despite reports to the contrary, Iran has not shut the door on diplomatic talks with the Trump administration, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark told Newsmax on Monday.
"Diplomacy is not finished," he said on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren."
Clark said it has been a regular tactic of the radical Islamic Iranian regime to say one thing and then do another.
"So when someone says they reject, OK, fine. But the talking is probably still going on," he said. "There's probably pressure from both sides."
Clark said the Iranian leaders know President Donald Trump is not bluffing about threats of military action.
"The Iranians have to understand that President Trump does mean what he says," he said.
Clark said talk that Trump ordered the military to target several Iranian-held islands near the Strait of Hormuz likely has substance.
"He is going to go after those civilian facilities," he said, adding that the question will be whether they are truly civilian or have dual-use purposes.
"And if they're dual-use and they're supplying power to nuclear research to factories that are producing military equipment and so forth, that's a legitimate military target."
Clark said he believes it would be proven that the islands are legitimate military targets.
"But most of these power plants, my guess would be they would fall under the dual-use approach. And I think lawyers would say that it is not illegal."
Clark said whether an invasion of the islands would serve a purpose related to the fall of the regime remains unclear.
"Obviously, no one wants to see an escalation. The president doesn't want to see it," he said.
"We want the war to stop. But the Iranians are the ones that are driving this forward at this point."
Clark said the Iranian leadership is nearing the point of failure.
"If the people turn against it, it'll collapse very, very quickly. They're struggling," he said.
But, he said, Iran can still inflict damage.
"They do feel like they've got a real grip on the Strait of Hormuz. They feel that's a strategic weapon," he said.
"And they also have enough left in their arsenal to be able to punish, take out petroleum facilities and desal [desalination] plants from our friends and allies in the Gulf."
Clark also said he believes NATO countries that have been hesitant to support Trump attacking Iran will come around and be supportive.
"They're going to need to be with us because they're more dependent on this in terms of physical supplies than we are," he said.
Trump on Monday told reporters that Iran could be taken out in one evening, "and that night might be tomorrow night," warning Tehran it had to make a deal by the end of the day Tuesday or face the consequences.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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