US Urged to Prepare for Iran Transition After 6 Months of War

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 21

Six months into the Iran war, the central U.S. policy question is shifting from missiles and Hormuz to who could govern if the Islamic Republic weakens or falls.
Robert Harward argued Washington should plan now for a post-regime transition that preserves Iran’s territorial integrity and lets Iranians choose their next order at the ballot box.
He said economic pressure may speed the regime’s exhaustion, but Iran’s deeper crisis is political—eroded legitimacy, accumulated grievances and the risk that another uprising could erupt.
Harward warned collapse would not automatically yield democracy, with the IRGC, Islamists, Marxists, sectarian groups and separatists all able to compete in a power vacuum.
The broader message is that U.S., Israeli and Arab strategy should prepare for a future beyond the Islamic Republic rather than assume only negotiation or chaos.