US Does not Want Collapse in Iran Similar to Libya

(MENAFN) The US does not want a Libya-style collapse in Iran, Matthew Whitaker, Washington’s ambassador to NATO, said, as the country weighs potential military action. Libya has remained unstable for over a decade following the NATO-backed overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, leaving rival administrations competing for control.

In recent weeks, the US deployed what President Donald Trump described as a “beautiful armada” to the Middle East, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, to pressure Tehran into accepting a nuclear deal. Whitaker said the buildup is “a show of strength” but also an opportunity for Iran to deescalate by agreeing to US terms.

Trump has issued an ultimatum demanding Iran stop developing nuclear weapons and halt the killing of protesters. Whitaker emphasized that Washington will act carefully to avoid destabilizing Iran as Libya was after Gaddafi’s removal.

Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful and denies ambitions to build a bomb. Iranian authorities reported in mid-January that they had restored calm after protests, which they claim were instigated by the US and Israel. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that progress is being made toward negotiations with Washington.

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