On the 20th local time, Reuters quoted senior Iranian officials as saying that Iran is deliberately delaying negotiations with the United States in order to weaken U.S. President Donald Trump's political position before the mid-term elections in November. Concerns about a new round of military actions, along with deep distrust of Washington, have strengthened Tehran's reluctance to reach an agreement quickly.
Three senior Iranian officials and an Iranian insider stated under anonymity that Iran is convinced that the United States is preparing to resort to another attack, in an attempt to break the deadlock of this war that has lasted for eight months.
An Iranian official stated: “Iran is preparing for another attack on Israel and the United States, not for negotiations to end the war. The clerical group in Iran is determined to prevent Trump from achieving political victory.”
Tehran analysts Sayed Rezaz said that by delaying negotiations, “Iran can influence U.S. elections without taking any illegal actions.”
This war has pushed Trump’s popularity to historic lows. Polls show that due to concerns about high gasoline prices, Americans may punish the Republican Party, which Trump represents, in the November 3rd congressional elections.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he expects oil prices to fall after the election, but he has never proposed a detailed plan for ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials said that Tehran refused to make concessions that it believed might be politically beneficial to Trump. Therefore, it is very unlikely that there will be any breakthrough in negotiations before the U.S. mid-term elections.
