Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington,
challenged President Trump’s claim that nearly two weeks of U.S. strikes forced
Iran back to the negotiating table, saying he does not believe Iran would
capitulate solely from military strikes. Vatanka said Iran has signaled to the
Trump administration that time favors Tehran and it can endure more pain than
the U.S.; the approach is risky but consistent with its recent strategy and he
sees no major change. He added that U.S. officials and sources in Washington are
discussing the diminishing effectiveness of continued strikes, with most judging
them no longer effective, and that the ceasefire looks like a U.S.-initiated
attempt to see whether diplomacy can be pursued again.
