Ambassador Barbara Leaf Appears on Bloomberg TV and TRT World Now to Discuss Developments in Middle East Conflict
Arnold & Porter Senior International Policy Advisor and former U.S. Ambassador Barbara Leaf (Amb. Leaf) appeared on Bloomberg TV and TRT World Now this week to discuss the latest developments in the U.S.-Israeli-led conflict involving Iran and its broader regional implications.
In her interview with Bloomberg TV, Amb. Leaf addressed what she described as the current military operation's undefined objectives. “The President surprised the American people in framing the war as regime change,” she said, characterizing that approach as an “open-ended proposition.” She further observed that messaging within the Administration has lacked clarity, noting that officials have at times been “in contradiction with each other.” “It is pretty muddled,” she said of the stated aims of the conflict.
Speaking with TRT World Now, Amb. Leaf emphasized this sentiment, questioning the prospect of regime change — a policy the President has criticized — as “a vast and slippery slope,” when there was “no imminent threat to the United States.”
On the complicated regional dynamics impacted by the war, Amb. Leaf said that “relations have been badly damaged” among Gulf states due to Iran’s immediate retaliatory targeting of civilian infrastructure.
She concluded that if there are indications “the post-Khomeini leadership is ready to have a discussion about terms for the way forward,” which would need to exclude the continuance of their nuclear program, the President could de-escalate and wind down the offensive soon.
