Drop Site News What Trump 2.0 Means for Iran
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Jan 20, 2025 Sina Toossi, a Senior nonresident fellow at the Center for International Policy and an expert on Iran, discusses the fraught U.S.-Iran relationship shaped by Trump's nuclear deal withdrawal. He highlights Iran's accelerated nuclear capabilities and internal debates on weaponization. Toossi emphasizes the challenges of potential military action against Iran and calls for urgent diplomatic efforts amidst rising tensions and regional alliances. He also touches on Iran's shifting political landscape, especially concerning future leadership dynamics.
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Iran's Evolving Response to Trump
- Iran's response to a second Trump administration differs greatly from the first due to a changed geopolitical landscape.
- Iran's economy has become more resilient to sanctions, and regional proponents of maximum pressure now favor detente.
Diplomatic Overtures and Neoconservative Influence
- Javad Zarif advocated for renewed diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran, while Iranian diplomats have reached out to figures like Elon Musk.
- The neoconservative influence on Trump's first term shaped the maximum pressure campaign.
Shifting Political Dynamics in Iran
- The Iranian political landscape has shifted since Trump's first term, with the initial empowerment of hardliners followed by a return to pro-diplomacy figures.
- The 2021 Iranian presidential election saw the victory of a conservative, Ebrahim Raisi, but the pendulum has swung back towards pro-diplomacy with the election of Massoud Pezishkian.