WASHINGTON: The prospect of a US strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war.

Some of Trump’s most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies.

Bannon, one of many influential voices from Trump’s “America First” coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the US military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme in the absence of a diplomatic deal.

“We can’t do this again,” Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. “We’ll tear the country apart. We can’t have another Iraq.”

Bannon continued to preach patience on his popular “War Room” podcast on Thursday, contending that Trump was being set up to be responsible for toppling the Iranian regime. He was joined by Jack Posobiec, another prominent MAGA (Make America Great Again) figure.

The goal, Posobiec said, is to “suck the United States in, have the regime change go off and, unfortunately, have the United States finish something that was started not by us.” Bannon replied, “The way you have regime change is that it’s got to come from the street. It has to come from the people. If it comes from the top, from a foreign power, it never works.”

Steve Bannon warns US involvement will tear Iran apart

The anti-interventionist part of the Republican Party is watching with alarm as Trump has moved swiftly from seeking a peaceful diplomatic settlement with Iran to possibly having the United States support Israel’s military campaign, including the use of a 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bomb.

The criticism shows the opposition Trump could face from his right-leaning “Make America Great Again” flank should he join the fight, a step that Iran has warned would have big consequences for Americans without specifying what that might be.

A decision by Trump to enter the conflict would be a sharp departure from his usual caution about foreign entanglements. It could affect his campaign to foster good relations in the Gulf and could be a distraction from his efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine and make tariff deals with countries around the world.

The MAGA coalition propelled Trump into office in the 2016 and 2024 elections and remains critically important to him even though he is prevented by the constitution from running for a third term. Upsetting that base could erode Trump’s popularity and factor into whether Repu­blicans hang on to control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.

Iran’s nuclear weapon

Asked about the rift on Wednes­day, Trump appeared unconcerned that some in his base could be turning their backs on him, at least on this issue. “My supporters are more in love with me today, and I’m in love with them more than they were even at election time,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

“I only want one thing: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” He said some of his supporters “are a little bit unhappy now” but that others agree with him that Iran cannot become a nuclear power.

“I’m not looking to fight. But if it’s a choice between them fighting or having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do,” Trump said.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2025