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In early July, the Iranian regime trashed the ceasefire deal it had reached with the United States by attacking three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Having negotiated an extraordinary package — ending sanctions, unfreezing assets and establishing a $300 billion reparation fund — Iran made the seemingly nonsensical decision to pick a fight instead. Understanding why it did this is essential to figuring out how to handle the regime.
I was a diplomat in Iran. Two rules explain its actions.
Western countries assume Iran’s actions are aimed at them. But something else is going on.In early July, the Iranian regime trashed the ceasefire deal it had reached with the United States by attacking three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Having negotiated an extraordinary package — ending sanctions, unfreezing assets and establishing a $300 billion reparation fund — Iran made the seemingly nonsensical decision to pick a fight instead. Understanding why it did this is essential to figuring out how to handle the regime.
