Lazard CEO Peter Orszag predicted on Wednesday that “something big” was imminent in Iran as American aircraft carriers quietly moved into position.
Orszag, a former senior Obama administration official, said it is “very likely that over the next few days, there will be something that happens in Iran.”
Orszag told CNBC’s “Squawk Box “it’s entirely possible the United States was waiting for the carriers to arrive.”
He added that even unrelated headlines — including the White House’s sudden focus on Greenland — could be acting as a distraction as tensions with Tehran reach a boiling point.
President Donald Trump told those gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday that Iran’s theocratic leaders “want to talk, and we’ll talk” following weeks-long demonstrations in the country that have included calls to topple the regime.
Trump also revealed Tuesday that he’s left “very firm instructions” for Iran to be “blown up” if the US adversary makes good on threats to assassinate him.
Orszag on CNBC wondered aloud whether the Trump administration planned regime change in Iran or whether the military operation had more modest aims, such as destroying the Islamic Republic’s arsenal of long-range missiles.
“Then the big question becomes can you actually do regime change through effectively a bombing campaign? And I don’t think we have any history in which that’s effective,” he told CNBC.
“If it’s to take out the ballistic missiles that can be successful, if it’s regime change, you know, that that’s got a more checkered history.”
When asked if he thought that President Trump’s insistence on an American acquisition of Greenland was a “head fake” or distraction before bombing Iran, Orszag replied: “I don’t know about a head fake, but it has the effect of it has that effect, even if that’s not the intent.”
The Post has sought comment from the White House.
“In response to a direct question, our CEO answered that based on analysis by Lazard’s geopolitical team and its network of experts, the risk of military activity in Iran is elevated in the near term,” a Lazard spokesperson told The Post.
Orszag, 56, is the chief executive and chairman of Lazard, the boutique Wall Street investment bank that has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most prestigious M&A advisory and asset management firms.
His warning carries extra weight due to his deep ties to the Washington establishment.
Orszag previously headed the Office of Management and Budget during the Obama administration. He is married to Bianna Golodryga, a senior CNN anchor and global affairs correspondent who frequently covers US foreign policy and international crises.
The comments came as Iran remains engulfed in its deadliest unrest in decades.
Nationwide protests erupted on Dec. 28 over soaring prices and a collapsing economy, then rapidly spread to all 31 provinces, morphing into open calls for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.
Human rights groups say the regime responded with overwhelming force, deploying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij militia to crush the demonstrations.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has said it has verified more than 3,000 deaths, including thousands of protesters. Other estimates are even higher.
Trump ordered the Pentagon to prepare military strike options after reports surfaced that Iran was planning mass executions of detained protesters.
The US moved an aircraft carrier strike group into the region and placed long-range bombers on alert, putting the Middle East on edge.
The White House ultimately pulled back after Tehran reportedly paused the planned hangings, but officials have repeatedly warned that “all options remain on the table” if the violence resumes.
