Iran hopes to deal Trump a blow at midterms by keeping him entangled in war

By dragging out talks, Tehran aims to damage the US president politically, but some fear a bruised and weakened Trump could only prolong the conflict Tehran has set out a protracted negotiating timetable designed to keep Donald Trump embroiled in the Iran conflict until the midterm elections, in the hope of inflicting the same ruinous blow on his presidency as Jimmy Carter suffered over the 1979-81 US embassy hostage crisis. For many inside Iran, inflicting meaningful revenge on Trump is a legitimate and self-standing war aim, reflected in the mood of those attending the funeral of the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei where demands for retribution were ubiquitous. While Iranian officials since the 1979 Islamic revolution have never trusted the US, that animus is now also directed personally towards Trump. He shows no remorse for the killing of the country’s supreme leader, or for the attempt on the life of Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian. The changing politics of the Democrats is minutely examined.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open The Guardian World ↗