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Iran is deliberately stalling the peace negotiations with the US to weaken President Trump’s political standing ahead of the November midterm elections, senior regime officials said.
Tehran has become convinced that Trump cannot be trusted and will strike Iran following the elections, leading the negotiating team to prolong the talks until after the president suffers a political blow, three Iranian officials and an insider told Reuters.
“Iran is preparing for renewed Israeli and US attacks, not for a deal with America to end the war,” one of the officials said.
“The clerical establishment is determined not to give Trump a political victory.”
The president and his allies have faced backlash over high gas and diesel prices caused by the war, leading to worry among Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.
While Trump has repeatedly claimed the fuel prices would drop after the elections, including through his Russian diesel deal, there is still no clear path to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has ramped up attacks.
Tehran has used the war, approaching its ninth month, to politically attack Trump, with the regime even urging Americans to send a message to the president in the midterms.
Iran has also refused to make any concessions it believes could benefit Trump politically, avoiding any form of breakthrough before the elections, the officials added.
Instead, Iran has continued to push a one-sided cease-fire deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz so long as the US lifts its naval blockade and sanctions against Tehran.
Iran is also preparing for a mass retaliation campaign in the Middle East under the assumption that Trump would renew strikes in the region following the election, the elections added.
With Post Wires