How Iran became the wedge issue dividing the Trump camp

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

45% : Withdrawing the small numbers of US troops currently in Syria and re-engaging his dear friend, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will surely raise some hackles with establishment Republicans (read: not that important anyway), but Trump will likely be given a lot of leeway on both issues to at least try his co-option approach for defanging dictators via a goldplated, US insured lifeline.
45% : Nearly all of Trump's other cabinet picks, substantial numbers of elected Republicans, and a heavy-hitting set of other influential media supporters have voiced strong support for an aggressive, militarised approach to Iran right out of the gate - well beyond the "maximum pressure" policy that led Trump to tear up the Iran nuclear deal in his first term and assassinate Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020.
44% : Across other issues - opposing Venezuela and Cuba, rejecting climate change policies, undermining democracy and human rights initiatives, targeting drug cartels and terrorism, and critiquing the UN system - Trump can count on his coalition's steadfast support.
41% : "Given Musk's rhetoric, not to mention his previous attempts to deliver the Starlink internet service to Iranians opposed to their government, it is curious, to say the least, that Trump saw fit to send him last Monday for a discussion with Iranian officials about negotiating a settlement.
41% : Netanyahu, whom Trump has recently pressured to take out Iran's nuclear facilities, holds a pivotal role in resolving this foreign policy divide.
32% : The issue revolves around what seems to be the sole significant wedge between the president-elect's emerging cabinet, elected Republican allies, and popular base on the global stage: how Trump should approach Iran.
29% : Musk's fledgling mediation efforts - first seen last week when Trump included him on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -appear critically needed regarding Iran.
14% : Such a move would degrade Iran's capabilities and potentially give Trump more leverage, allowing him to claim he inherited another Middle East conflict from Joe Biden.

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