World ·
Iran is calculating that global economic fallout combined with concerns from Republicans facing midterm elections will pressure United States President Donald Trump into a political retreat.
World ·
A major debate is unfolding inside Iran regarding the strategic value of the Strait of Hormuz as neighboring Gulf countries plan alternative pipelines to bypass the waterway. Although the office of Iran's supreme leader recently framed the chokehold as a pillar of its security order equivalent to possessing a nuclear weapon, analysts warn its diminishing economic leverage could leave the country vulnerable to upcoming U.S. sanctions.