US House Speaker says America should not be involved in nation-building in Iran

Washington — US House Speaker Mike Johnson has stated that the United States should not be involved in nation-building activities in Iran.

“I think that is not our job,” Johnson said at a golf club owned by US President Donald Trump in Florida on Tuesday, 10 March.

The Republican politician from Louisiana also stated that despite possessing adequate military power, the US does not have sufficient resources or political will to participate in global interventions and nation-building efforts worldwide.

Johnson further asserted that America’s responsibility is to project peace through the power it possesses.

He also claimed that the Iranian people need to rise up against their own government.

On 28 February, the US and Israel launched attacks against targets in Iran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran retaliated by striking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

The US and Israel initially claimed their attacks were aimed at countering threats they believed stemmed from Iran’s nuclear programme. However, they subsequently clarified that the attacks were carried out because they wanted to see a change of power in Iran.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli military operation. The Islamic Republic of Iran declared a 40-day period of mourning.

Russian President Vladimir Putin characterised the killing of Khamenei as a cynical violation of international law. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the US-Israeli operation and called for immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities.