NYT: Trump cannot force Iran’s post-war system to transform

US President Donald Trump will not be able to compel Iran’s political system—described as having “just won a war”—to transform, according to a former US official cited by The New York Times (NYT).

The former official, Nate Swanson, acknowledged Tehran’s victory in the conflict and said the Iranian government is unlikely to concede to the White House’s demands in negotiations “just as they did not on the battlefield.” 

“Iran will only make a deal they see as being in their interest,” he said. The former official added that any such agreements would likely be limited in scope and purely practical in nature. “That will most likely be small and transactional.”

According to analysts, the 40-day US-Israeli bombing campaign that ended in last week’s ceasefire has, in effect, strengthened the influence of Iran’s military and hard-line factions.

Despite extensive destruction and the killing of officials by US and Israeli strikes, the Iranian leadership now appears more assertive, having shown it can disrupt global trade and drive up US fuel prices.

By Jeyhun Aghazada