S1/E27: Is Iran Prepared to Negotiate Terms of Capitulation With the United States?

Iran's Gambit

Under the headline "Khamenei 'Open' to Closer Ties with the West", Ms. Najmeh Bozorgmehr and Ms. Bita Ghaffari present a curious article in today's edition of the Financial Times, which I interpret as an unofficial diplomatic communiqué from Tehran to Washington. From my analysis, it appears that Iran, faced with a series of significant strategic losses since September, is now reconsidering its position. These losses include the near-collapse of Lebanese Hezbollah, the failure of Iran’s missile capabilities to breach Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems, and Israel’s repeated incursions into Iranian airspace. The situation is dire enough that the regime may be contemplating a negotiation of its capitulation with the United States. The question now is whether Washington is prepared to accept Tehran’s overtures, and how Israel is likely to respond. I suspect Israel will do everything in its power to obstruct such a development, and so will Russia and China.