Iran has reportedly adopted a strategy of intentionally stalling peace talks with the United States in an effort to undermine President Trump's political standing ahead of the November midterm elections.
What happened
Senior Iranian officials and an insider have revealed that Tehran has become convinced that President Trump cannot be trusted and will likely launch strikes against Iran following the elections. As a result, the negotiating team has been instructed to prolong the talks until after the president suffers a political setback.
According to the officials, Iran is preparing for potential renewed attacks from the US and Israel, rather than working towards a deal to end the war. The Iranian government has also refused to make any concessions that could be seen as benefiting President Trump politically, and has instead pushed for a one-sided cease-fire deal that would require the US to lift its naval blockade and sanctions against Tehran.
The move is seen as an attempt to weaken President Trump's position ahead of the elections, with the Iranian government using the war to launch political attacks against him. The conflict, which is approaching its ninth month, has led to high gas and diesel prices in the US, causing backlash against the president and his allies.
