Inna Shumilina

• Occupation: Senior Researcher
• Affiliation: Institute for USA and Canada Studies, RAS
  
• Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

The present article is focusing mainly on the domestic American aspect of the Anti-Iranian strategy, which is being implemented by Donald Trump’s administration in the Middle East. This strategy has been embodied in the region recently not only through the constantly multiplying American sanctions against Iran, accompanied by the growing tension in Washington’s relationship with its European allies (resulted from the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran), not only through the increasing political pressure on Tehran, but also through the recent deployment of the US strike forces in the Persian Gulf. Those White House’s actions have been supported by a substantial part of the American legislators – the evidence of the effectiveness of the lobbying efforts exerted by the Pro-Saudi and Pro-Israeli structures alike. The Author believes that the U.S. confrontation with Iran has become the point of consent and even partial reconciliation between the mentioned lobbies which had been contesting and rivalling with each other. The Anti-Iranian strategy in course of being carried out by the Trump administration in the Middle East is being echoed inside the United States while helping the moderate Muslims and Jews as well to overcome the psychological barrier and discomfort because their attitude in favour of the need to confront Iran is getting fitted with the common American – even patriotic – view. The basic author’s conclusion is that given the positive domestic effect the Trump administration will go on implementing the Anti-Iran strategy even with more consistence and cohesiveness down the road.