Donald Trump will grant Israel 'blank check' which may mean 'all-out war' with Iran, says former CIA director Leon Panetta

Former CIA director and US defense secretary Leon Panetta said that as president, Donald Trump will grant Benjamin Netanyahu a "blank check" in the Middle East, perhaps leading to all-out war between Israel and Iran.

Ronen Zvulun.

Reuters

"With regards to the Middle East, I think he's basically going to give Netanyahu a blank check," Panetta said of Trump, who won the presidential election this week and will return to office in January.

"'Whatever you do, whatever you want to do, and whomever you want to pursue, you have my blessing.' "He basically said that [before the election]."

Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2018, the Israeli prime minister has presided over assaults against Iran and its assets as part of a widening war. He and the US president-elect were said to have talked throughout the US election campaign. Netanyahu praised Trump on Wednesday, after his victory against Kamala Harris was certified.

Panetta went further: "And so the real question there is whether Netanyahu decides to continue to try to expand that war, go after Iran, or do things that basically create an even greater concern about whether or not the Middle East is ever going to resolve itself or be in constant conflict."

Panetta stated on the One Decision podcast, which he co-hosts with Sir Richard Dearlove, a former director of MI6, the British intelligence service, said he anticipated Trump would support allowing Russia to keep control of portions of Ukraine it has controlled since its invasion two years ago.

Most analysts believe Trump's win is terrible news for Ukraine, which the Biden administration has supported with military help. Many experts believe Trump will be less bound by advisers than he was during his first four years in office, free to do anything he wants yet loyal to Vladimir Putin, the Russian ruler he has long idolized.

Panetta, on the other hand, expressed uncertainty that Trump would be granted complete authority.

"That's going to take some negotiation," Panetta said of Russia-Ukraine relations. "I would not put Mr Trump in charge of that because, you know, he sat down with [North Korean ruler] Kim Jong-un for three sessions and was unable to reach an agreement.

"I would appoint someone with experience, such as a secretary of state or defense, to negotiate a fair deal for Ukraine while also allowing Russia to sign off on it."

"I think that's the way to go. But that will take time. It will take a lot of negotiating. It will require a lot of bargaining. But that's the only concern. If I were Trump, I would focus on how to end the Ukrainian conflict."

Panetta, now 85, has extensive experience, having served as a California congressman (1977-1993), White House budget manager and chief of staff under Bill Clinton (1993-97), and CIA director (2009-11) and secretary of defense (2011-13) under President Barack Obama.

Given Trump's return, Panetta painted a bleak foreign policy scenario.

"As I've long said, we live in a hazardous world. There are several flashpoints, including Russia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, the Middle East, Iran, North Korea, and terrorism.

Panetta also took a shot at Trump.

"Throughout the campaign, Trump basically stated, 'Don't worry about it. I can simply negotiate a deal, and everything will be OK.'

"Well, he might just capitulate to dictators, opponents, and autocrats and allow them to have their way. But I doubt even his own party, the Republicans, would allow him to just let tyrants do anything they want."