Iran is circling the wagons. With an American carrier strike group patrolling offshore, key European countries labeling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization, Tehran’s regional strategy in ruins, and the Iranian economy imploding, the Islamic Republic is hanging tough. To every demand, the mullahs have the same answer: nah—Persian for “no.” No end to the nuclear program, no limits on ballistic-missile production, no easing of the hard line against Israel, no end to support for what’s left of its proxy network.
On the other hand, neither the mullahs nor the Trump administration wants a war at this point, so talks continue. President Trump remains as unpredictable as ever, and nobody knows what comes next.