In a candid exclusive conversation, HR McMaster, who served as National Security Advisor under President Trump, forecasted the collapse of Iran’s Islamic Republic. ‘They can’t hold it together much longer,’ he asserted, citing damaged military strength, eroded regional influence, and rampant corruption that starves the populace.
The regime’s obsession with nukes and missiles, coupled with elite graft—like the Supreme Leader’s vast offshore fortunes—has devastated ordinary citizens. McMaster decried the savagery, from routine hangings of dissidents to mass killings in January, urging focus on the people’s plight and persistent pressure on the theocratic oppressors.
Turning to global dynamics, McMaster viewed US improvements with China and Pakistan as no threat to the thriving US-India partnership. In the Eurasian chessboard dominated by China and Russia, democracies like India and the US stand as counterweights. The Indian diaspora in America, driving innovation and entrepreneurship, cements these ‘family-like’ ties.
To elevate defense collaboration, India must wean off Russian weaponry, vulnerable to compromise. American systems excel against Chinese threats arming Pakistan, from radars to fighter jets. McMaster praised Trump’s alliance-building but lamented bombastic rhetoric that eroded trust, while reminding that US policy reflects sovereign people, not monarchy, with strong congressional backing for India.
