Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Iran’s chief justice, has publicly called for the government to stay away from the negotiating table, effectively ending any hope for a peaceful resolution. This internal pressure from hardliners means the Iranian government is bracing for a military outcome to the current crisis. With the USS Abraham Lincoln in striking range, the rejection of diplomacy is being viewed by Washington as a green light for kinetic action.
The lack of dialogue has sent the Iranian stock market into a historic tailspin. Investors realize that without a deal, the 60% inflation and the “shattered” nuclear program will only get worse. The government is bracing for a strike that will likely target the judiciary and security ministries, the very institutions that have led the crackdown on the “urban groups” seeking reform.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has threatened a “comprehensive and regrettable response,” but without a diplomatic channel, these warnings sound more like a funeral dirge for the regime. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will be the “comprehensive” answer to its refusal to comply with international demands for human rights and weapons inspections.
Chief Justice Rejects Talks: Iranian Government Braces for Military Outcome as Diplomacy Dies
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