Iran ‘Unlikely to Capitulate’ to Trump's Demands for a Deal to Avoid Military Action

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be “very skeptical and resistant to accept” Trump’s demands “as he would perceive acceding to them as paving the way for the collapse of the Islamic republic,” said Jason Brodsky, policy director at the Washington-based United Against Nuclear Iran. In the absence of a deal, Trump is “very likely” to authorize military action against Iran, said Brodsky, pointing to the president’s rhetoric and the US military buildup in the region. “This is a very similar pattern of statements and actions that resulted in the 12-day war in June and the US seizure of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela,” he said. “President Trump alternates between confrontational and conciliatory statements to throw the Iranian regime off.” Brodsky said the objectives of military action would be to hold Iran accountable for its bloody crackdown on protesters, deter its behavior in the region, and erode its military capabilities. He added Trump could view “further military action as the prelude to an eventual deal down the line.”