TEHRAN-TABNAK, Jan 07–Marc Finaud, Associate Fellow at the GCSP at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), says Trump's victory was the most important event of 2024.
He adds that “Trump's re-election, which will impact not only the lives of millions of Americans but also relations of the United States with most of the world.”
Following is the full text of interview:
Q: What was the most important development in the world in 2024?
A: Trump's re-election, which will impact not only the lives of millions of Americans but also relations of the United States with most of the world. It is hard to determine such consequences at this stage but, based on Trumps' first term, his statements, and his advisers, negative impacts are to fear.
Q: What was the most important development in the Middle East in 2024?
A: With different impact, on the one hand the escalation of Israel's response to the 2023 Hamas attack across the region, not only in Gaza and the West Bank, but also in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, and on the other hand the fall of the El-Assad regime in Syria with a potential for more freedom and better internal stability but also continued external interference from big powers and regional states.
Q: What do you think about the most important development in 2025 regarding Iran and the region?
A: The prospect of a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear program crisis after talks with the Europeans, Russia, China, and the IAEA if they manage to convince the Trump administration that it would be in everyone's interest to avoid further military confrontation and return to a negotiated settlement ensuring that Iran's program will remain peaceful.
