海角大神

Steve Bannon warned in stark terms against the Trump administration getting involved in a lengthy conflict in Iran, lighting into Republicans and conservative talking heads who he said have been beating the drums of war.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 have another Iraq,鈥� Mr. Bannon warned at a breakfast with reporters hosted Wednesday聽by 海角大神, saying that another war in the Middle East would 鈥渢ear this country apart.鈥�

Mr. Bannon, who described himself as 鈥渙ne of the biggest names in MAGA,鈥� served as White House chief strategist at the beginning of the first Trump administration. His 鈥淲ar Room鈥� podcast has a huge following of Trump supporters, and he retains some sway with the president.

In recent days, Mr. Bannon has led the charge against the Trump administration getting more involved in the growing military conflict between Israel and Iran, fighting back against more hawkish Republicans who don鈥檛 share his 鈥淎merica First鈥� foreign policy views.

Mr. Bannon criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for seeming to expect that the United States would back up Israel in the conflict. He suggested that even faster-paced estimates are that Iran is at least a year from having atomic weapons, and said that the onus is on Israel 鈥� not the U.S. 鈥� to destroy Iran鈥檚 nuclear capabilities.

鈥淭he Israelis have to finish what they started. They started this. They should finish it,鈥� he said.

He also took aim at Fox News, a mostly pro-Trump conservative news network that has featured a number of commentators taking a more bellicose tone toward Iran in recent days. Mr. Bannon called them 鈥淛ohnny-come-latelies鈥� in supporting the president and Mr. Trump鈥檚 Make America Great Again movement, accusing them of abandoning the president immediately after the 2020 election, which he falsely claimed was 鈥渟tolen鈥� from President Trump.

鈥淢ark Levin, Sean Hannity, where were they in the darkest days of the MAGA movement?鈥� he asked rhetorically.

Israel鈥檚 attacks on Iran have so far been highly successful militarily. Prime Minister Netanyahu has suggested that toppling the Iranian regime may be a goal, floating the idea of assassinating Iran鈥檚 supreme leader. Some U.S. Republicans have pushed regime change as well.

Mr. Bannon warned against that path, mocking the 鈥渁bsurdity鈥� of discussing potential U.S.-backed successors in Iran whom few people had even considered seriously until recent days.

鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been relevant until 72 hours ago, because we never considered that we鈥檙e going to have immediate regime change,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e never talked about regime change in Iran.鈥�

President Trump is weighing his options for supporting Israel鈥檚 strikes against Iran, and demanded Iran鈥檚 鈥淯NCONDITIONAL SURRENDER鈥� on social media Tuesday, without making clear what that would mean. He added that the U.S. didn鈥檛 plan to assassinate Iran鈥檚 leader 鈥渁t least not for now.鈥� Mr. Trump has refused to say exactly what he鈥檒l do 鈥� with options including potential airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that Israeli bombs aren鈥檛 big enough to damage.

鈥淚 may do it, I may not do it,鈥� he told reporters Wednesday morning. 鈥淚 mean, nobody knows what I鈥檓 going to do.鈥�

Iran鈥檚 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded in a televised address, saying any U.S. military intervention in Iran 鈥渨ill undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage.鈥�

Mr. Bannon cited recent YouGov for The Economist showing that only 16% of Americans think the U.S. military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, including less than a quarter of Republicans.

鈥淭he American people overwhelmingly tell you we want to get out of the Middle East. We don鈥檛 want any more forever wars. We鈥檝e spent 20 years in Afghanistan. We鈥檙e still in Iraq today,鈥� he said. If President Trump decides to strike Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities or escalate more broadly, the president knows he needs to 鈥渕ake the case not just to MAGA, but to the American people of why we would get involved in another war over there as a combatant, particularly given everybody鈥檚 bitter feelings about Iraq and Afghanistan.鈥�

While Mr. Bannon had harsh words for the Republicans pushing for the U.S. to back up Israel more aggressively in the conflict, he was careful not to criticize the president himself, and defended Mr. Trump鈥檚 top Cabinet officials.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a strong skeptic of foreign military intervention whose foreign policy views largely align with Mr. Bannon鈥檚, has reportedly fallen out of favor with President Trump and wasn鈥檛 included at a recent Iran-related national security meeting. Mr. Bannon said that she was in the Situation Room on Tuesday, and praised her 鈥� as well as the rest of Mr. Trump鈥檚 immediate Cabinet, including more traditionally hawkish members like Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Mr. Bannon said that he 鈥渨ent to fixed bayonets鈥� to get many of these officials confirmed by the Senate, particularly singling out Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth鈥檚 tough nomination fight. He also noted he had recommended that Mr. Trump give Secretary Rubio the dual position of acting national security adviser, describing him as a 鈥渟afe pair of hands鈥� who has the trust of the president. Mr. Rubio currently holds both positions.

鈥淚 think he鈥檚 got an extraordinary Cabinet,鈥� Mr. Bannon said.

He said there were still opportunities to avoid a dramatic escalation of U.S. involvement in Iran, which Israel attacked last Thursday.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of hot talking back and forth. The ayatollah certainly didn鈥檛 help the cause of diplomacy this morning by doing a hard throwdown on this talk he gave the Iranian people. But I think leveler heads will prevail,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think the president鈥檚 going to look for a broad range of input.鈥�

Editor鈥檚 note: This story was updated with an expanded version on June 18, the day of initial publication.