Benny Sabti, an Iran researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, sharply criticized the American administration and Donald Trump in an interview on 103FM with Yinon Magal and Ben Caspit. He said Trump’s approach to negotiations with Iran is erratic and accused Washington of weakening pressure on Tehran while constraining Israel in Lebanon. Sabti said, “It is very hard to understand Trump,” and added, “Trump is simply insane.”
Sabti warned that Iran’s regime is likely to grow stronger if it receives more money, and said a change of power there is not realistic in the near term. He cited remarks by Iran’s president claiming Iran had sold 36 barrels of oil in recent months, with 20 million barrels transferred to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to sell and cover its budget shortfall. “The money goes straight to the Revolutionary Guard,” he said, arguing that the deal amounts to “an American decision to buy oil” and that “the Americans are financing the terror against us.”
He also warned about the possibility of Khamenei’s son rising to power, comparing him to a harsh biblical heir. Sabti said every U.S. president, except perhaps Nixon, has imposed strong restraints on Israel, and argued that Israel’s technology and intelligence strengths do not always resonate with ordinary Americans. He said Iran’s exiles in the United States distrust Trump, use the World Cup as a protest stage, and feel they have less backing from the Americans than from Israel.
Sabti said many expect another confrontation with Iran, which he described as untrustworthy and unsatisfied even after receiving $6 billion. He also said he was stunned by a report from three weeks ago that a Hamas spokesman said Iran had spoken with Hamas and wanted to guarantee a ceasefire and the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza. In his view, that fits Iran’s regional strategy from Lebanon to the nuclear arena and on to Gaza, based on the assumption that Israel is weakening. He concluded that Israel must sometimes say no and stand firm, even if that means coordinating with the Americans.
