“Curious to know why we do not capitulate? Because we are IRANIAN,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote after US envoy Steve Witkoff said President Donald Trump was wondering why Tehran hadn’t yielded to American pressure over its nuclear program.
The remark captures much of the Islamic Republic’s proud worldview in a single line: that Iran is not just another regional state. Its leaders see the country as a historic power that deserves respect.
Whether its confidence in defying US pressure will prove misplaced remains unclear. A third round of indirect US-Iranian talks on Thursday appeared to make progress, according to Iranian officials and mediator Oman, despite Tehran’s refusal to…