(NewsNation) — United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee believes the Gulf states would be pleased to see the fall of the current Iranian regime.
Huckabee joined “Katie Pavlich Tonight” to discuss the ongoing unrest in Iran, with deaths from the regime’s crackdown reportedly exceeding 4,000.
“I think everybody in the region can’t stand Iran. It’s a threat to not just the U.S. and Israel. Iran is a threat to anybody who would like to see normalization in peace,” Huckabee said.
“They may not say it publicly because they don’t want to become a target, but privately, every single Gulf state would love to see the Iranian people succeed in getting rid of this regime and restoring some sanity to what once was a great Persian culture.”
Tensions remain high between the United States and Iran over the crackdown after President Donald Trump drew two red lines for the Islamic Republic — the killing of peaceful protesters and Tehran conducting mass executions in the wake of the demonstrations.
A U.S. aircraft carrier, which days earlier had been in the South China Sea, passed Singapore overnight to enter the Strait of Malacca — putting it on a route that could bring it to the Middle East.
“I don’t think there’s a risk of the U.S. overextending itself. We’re a pretty capable and robust nation with extraordinary assets and capabilities, but nobody is suggesting that the U.S. put boots on the ground in Iran,” Huckabee said.
“It’s really a matter of (whether) we continue the encouragement to the people of Iran. Will there be some targeted military strikes? Could be. That’s a decision that only the president can make.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
