Trump’s actions during his first term as president included abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal, reimposing sweeping sanctions and the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani in 2020, and foreshadowed a new approach toward a longstanding adversary. Since Oct. 7 last year, Israel’s systematic campaign against Iran’s so-called axis of resistance has steadily eroded Tehran’s sense of security. The US would coordinate strikes against the Iranian leadership, missile forces, air defenses and remaining nuclear infrastructure, seeking to cripple the regime. Under combined external pressure and internal unrest, the regime fractures, producing not liberal transition, but a power vacuum. Whether through forced compromise, limited war or regime collapse, none of the likely paths ahead point toward immediate stability or democratic transition.

Source: Taipei Times February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC