No chance of US-Iran war: Richard Olson

WASHINGTON: Former US Ambassador in Pakistan Richard Olson has said that there is no chance of a “war” between the United States and Iran but there might be a low-intensity conflict, ARY News reported.

In an exclusive chat with the ARY NEWS here, the former Ambassador was of the view that the question is how Iran will act to this event of killing Soleimani. “Iran will respond over time,” said Olson.

“The motivation is there to deterrent against a possible counterstrike from Iran”, he said while answering a question about President Trump’s tweet.

“The point of the message is to deter the Iranian action,” added Olson.

After killing of Soleimani President Trump is his tweet said: “Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American and badly wounded others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently hundreds of Iranian Protestors.”

“He was already attacking our Embassy and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years. Let this serve as a warning that if Iran strikes any Americans or American assets we have targeted 52 Iranian sites, some at a very high level and important to Iran and the Iranian Culture, and those targets, and Iran itself will be hit very fast and very hard”.

To a question, Ambassador Olson says that Pakistan and Afghanistan would be desired to stay out of the conflict between the United States and Iran, obviously, both of these countries have minorities that have great infinity perhaps to Iran and for the domestic reasons as well”.