Brian Hook, a former senior official in Donald Trump’s administration and likely a key figure in his new administration, spoke on Thursday, November 7, to CNN about the U.S.’s approach to Iran under Trump’s renewed leadership. Hook described the Iranian regime as the “main source of instability in the Middle East” and outlined a strategy to diplomatically and economically isolate Iran to curb its influence in the region.
“President Trump knows that the main source of instability in the Middle East today is the Iranian regime,” Hook stated. He emphasized the administration’s goal to weaken Iran to prevent it from financing proxy groups, adding, “What President Trump did say in Riyadh was that he would isolate Iran diplomatically and weaken them economically so that they can’t fund all of the violence” by groups like the Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other militias active in Iraq and Syria.
Hook underscored Trump’s stance on Iran, clarifying that “President Trump has no interest in regime change,” reiterating that “the future of Iran will be decided by the Iranian people.” Hook emphasized that the Trump administration’s focus would instead be on curtailing Iran’s regional influence, particularly in the Gulf region, which he called “one of the world’s most dynamic regions economically and culturally.” He warned that “the extremism and revolutionary ideology that the Iranian regime exports” are major obstacles to stability in the region.
Sources tell CNN former US envoy to Iran, Brian Hook, is expected to lead the transition team at the State Department.
I asked him if he believes Donald Trump’s administration will, once again, pursue a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran given the rapprochement between… pic.twitter.com/JUsNo3ljhh— Becky Anderson (@BeckyCNN) November 7, 2024
Having previously served as senior advisor to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and head of the “Iran Action Group,” Hook’s experience under Trump’s earlier term was marked by significant measures against Iran. Pompeo had once praised Hook as a “trusted advisor” who “achieved historic results against the Iranian regime.” CNN also reported that Hook might lead the transitional team in the State Department for the incoming administration.
In recent years, some American media outlets have reported Iranian plots targeting Hook and other former Trump administration officials, though Tehran has denied these claims.
