US-Iran military clash is impossible now – Oleg Makarenko

Speaking with Alpha News, Russian political scientist and orientalist Oleg Makarenko commented on a potential clash between the United States and Iran, Trump’s policies towards Tehran, and Israel’s stance.

“Basically, the conflict between the United States and Iran has been planned for a long time. The American desire to weaken Iran, as part of its conditional allied obligations with Israel, is obvious,” the expert said.

Referring to the potential military clash between the United States and Iran, he noted that the Trump administration does not need a war.

“A clash is impossible. If there were a clash, it would become a full-scale war, which would result in serious domestic and foreign policy problems for the United States. Iran is able to strike at US ships, and it could be quite damaging. Does Trump need this at the moment? Absolutely not.

But the blow to the Houthis, in principle, is a natural move. Why? Because Trump is signaling his intentions regarding the Suez Canal and strengthening the US role in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, with access through Suez. We must keep in mind his interesting position regarding the Panama Canal, which he wants to take away from Panama and fully control it. This means that the straits are important for Trump,” the political scientist said.

When asked about Israel’s behavior in the current geostrategic environment, Oleg Makarenko replied that Israel has old problems on the Palestinian front, and it would be unwise to engage in new conflicts without resolving the old ones.

“Today’s situation may serve as a trigger for Israel, but it should be noted that Israel has not resolved the Palestinian issue. It is unsolvable at present. Iran cannot address the Iranian issue without solving its other problems. Hezbollah has not been completely destroyed, and the issue with Hamas remains unresolved. Active hostilities have now erupted against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and Israel is launching a military operation against the Gaza Strip.

Under these circumstances, they either need the help of the United States, or they need time to prepare for war with Iran, which, in principle, Israel currently does not have. Why? Because Iran is bolstering its air defense capabilities and buying airplanes, including from Russia. The agreement between Iran and Russia complicates the situation for Israel not militarily but economically. Military-technical cooperation between Russia and Iran will complicate the actions of both Israel and the United States.

Therefore, the current situation would not resolve Israel’s issues with Iran but, on the contrary, would increase its military problems. There are a lot of unresolved issues within Israel itself. And I believe it would be better for Israel to focus its efforts on Syria. The escalation of the Syrian, Lebanese-Syrian, and Israeli-Syrian conflicts would be the most optimal option for Israel,” Makarenko said.