Exclusive | Trump's actions, threats eroding US credibility globally: American professor

New York, IRNA – John Anthony Calabrese, a professor at American University in Washington DC and a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, says US President Donald Trump’s actions and threats against other countries are gradually weakening the United States' credibility and moral standard at the international stage.

In an interview with IRNA, Calabrese addressed some of the issues related to the foreign policy agenda of the Trump administration, including his recent military threats against Iran. He began by saying that everything in the world looks awful, but he hopes and prays for some light at the end of this dark tunnel.

On the implications of US military intervention or the use of force against other countries, he said such policies not only undermine Washington's adherence to international law, but also weaken its moral and reputational capital, and contribute to the gradual unraveling of a global order the United States was instrumental in creating and sustaining.

In response to a question regarding Trump's threats or potential attacks on Iran, Calabrese underscored that there were several interrelated reasons that forced the US president to back down on his recent intimidation and warmongering rhetoric.

According to him, insufficient US military assets in theater to conduct decisive strikes on Iranian facilities; warnings from Saudi and Qatari officials about the risks of costly regional escalation; and a belated acknowledgment that attacks could only exacerbate nationalist and anti-American sentiment rather than hasten the collapse of the Islamic Republic, put Trump on backfoot

The American professor did not respond to a question on the potential scenarios the US and Israel might pursue against Iran amid deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln warship in West Asia, but he addressed the consequences of a potential attack and responses from Iran.

Calabrese underlined that Iran would likely employ all available means if it perceived its sovereignty and territorial integrity were at risk, and to avert that outcome, would likely target US bases and personnel in the region with its missiles.

After hatching a plot with Israel to incite unrest in Iranian cities, Trump and American officials, in line with the Israeli regime, have recently made provocative statements, including military threats against the Islamic Republic.

Iran has warned the United States, Israel, and their regional allies of potential consequences for any military mischief, saying the Islamic Republic is prepared to inflict more crushing defeats on aggressors.