American pressure mounts – and in Iran they pull out a mysterious threat
Iran signals that it is ready to return to talks with the United States, but demands that Washington stop its policy of pressure • Meanwhile, a senior security official in Tehran claims that the army…
Assessment
Iran is trying to calibrate its response to mounting U.S. pressure by holding out the possibility of talks while simultaneously brandishing a vague military threat. The economic squeeze from sanctions and the ongoing struggle over the Strait of Hormuz give Tehran strong incentive to seek relief, but the cryptic reference to 'surprises' suggests it is unwilling to negotiate from a position of weakness. The key question is whether the U.S. will ease pressure first, as Iran demands, or whether both sides will escalate further before any dialogue actually begins.