Trump will give Israel ‘blank check’ which may mean all-out war with Iran, says ex-CIA chief

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, on 23 May 2017. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Trump will give Israel ‘blank check’ which may mean all-out war with Iran, says ex-CIA chief

The Guardian-Nov7th2024

Donald Trump will as president give Benjamin Netanyahu a “blank check” in the Middle East, possibly opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran, the former CIA director and US defense secretary Leon Panetta predicted.

“With regards to the Middle East, I think he’s basically going to give Netanyahu a blank check,” Panetta said of Trump, who won the presidential election this week and will take office again in January.

“‘Whatever you do, whatever you want to do, whoever you want to go after, you have my blessing.’ I mean, he basically said that [before the election].”

The Israeli prime minister has overseen attacks on Iran and its assets as part of a growing conflagration since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October last year. He and the US president-elect were reported to have spoken during the US election campaign. Netanyahu congratulated Trump on Wednesday, after Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris was confirmed.

Panetta continued: “And so the real question there is whether Netanyahu decides to continue to try to expand that war, go after Iran, or do things that basically create an even greater concern about whether or not the Middle East is ever going to resolve itself or be in constant conflict.”

Speaking on the One Decision podcast, which he co-hosts with Sir Richard Dearlove, a former head of MI6, the British intelligence service, Panetta also said he expected Trump to favour allowing Russia to retain control of areas of Ukraine held since its invasion two years ago.

Most observers think Trump’s election is bad news for Ukraine, which the Biden administration has backed with military aid. Many analysts suggest Trump will be less constrained by advisers than during his first four years in office, free to do as he pleases while in thrall to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president he has long admired.

Panetta, however, said he doubted Trump would be given a free hand.