At the level of high policy, there is currently no room for retreat from the confrontation with the United States, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz and other issues, as the confrontation is producing satisfactory results for the leadership. The evidence lies in the growing confusion within the U.S. administration and the narrowing of options before it, to the point that Iran believes it has reversed the equation: it is no longer Tehran, but Washington, that is being asked to “surrender.” But if Iran constructs its “victory” by wielding the weapons of patience and brinkmanship alongside bombs, missiles, drones, and deliberate attacks on neighboring Gulf and Arab states, that equation risks Iran’s domestic front first, followed by what it perceives as its regional influence, and ultimately its international standing. The opportunity to build on the regime’s survival and open a new chapter remains. Yet its “imperial” obsessions continue to blind its vision. Control over the Strait of Hormuz was, and remains, possible and available. But turning that control into “authority” over regional and global economies is a double-edged sword: it may benefit Iran while simultaneously harming even its allies.
