Who is John Ratcliffe, the Iran hawk heading the CIA?

The new CIA director John Ratcliffe is a vocal proponent of a firm stance against Iran who has called on Washington to follow Israel’s lead in dealing with Tehran.

Ratcliffe was the Director of National Intelligence during Trump's first term in office and a prominent voice on national security in the United States. He has said on many occasions that he sees the theocracy in Tehran as a grave threat to both US interests and stability in the Middle East.

In an interview with Fox News last November, Ratcliffe slammed the Obama administration’s approach to Iran, calling it naïve in its reliance on diplomacy to curb Tehran's ambitions.

That approach underestimates “the lethality and evil nature of the Iranian regime,” he said, backing in its stead, Donald Trump’s policy of maximum pressure. Perhaps more notably, he called on the US government to assist Israel in employing what he described as a foot-on-the-throat approach against Tehran.

Ratcliffe’s call for coordinated US-Israeli action against Iran underscores his belief that Tehran’s nuclear program and its support for regional armed groups are existential threats that demand forceful collective action.

This aligns him with those in the intelligence and foreign policy circles who reject diplomatic solutions and say the Islamic Republic responds to strength only. It could, however, point to a potential divergence with President Trump, who has indicated that he would seek a deal before considering other options.

Another disagreement between the two could emerge from the president’s decision to remove security details of former officials, including Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Brian Hook, who have allegedly faced death threats from Iran over their roles in Trump’s previous administration that killed IRGC’s top commander Qassem Soleimani.

This move has been criticized as dangerous, potentially leaving these individuals vulnerable to Tehran’s retaliation. It may not directly pertain to Ratcliffe’s policy stance on Iran, but it does suggest that Trump’s actions this term could not fully align with the hardline approach that both he and Ratcliffe have previously endorsed.

Overall, Ratcliffe’s stance on Iran is largely in harmony with President Trump’s, both championing a hardline approach, particularly on Tehran’s nuclear program.