US banking on internal unrest in Iran, says regional expert

Nabil Al-Atoum, Director of the Iranian Studies Program at the Center for Regional Studies, said that "the United States is banking on internal unrest in Iran, which could turn external pressure into a legitimacy crisis, but may also push Iran toward brinkmanship."

Speaking in an interview with Al Arabiya FM, Al-Atoum added that "the escalation has now reached a new level, as the United States has begun targeting the arteries of the Iranian economy, especially oil, which is Iran's main source of hard currency."

He continued, "The rules of engagement have changed. American responses are no longer limited to military targets; the US has now included Iran's economy in its list of targets. In addition, it has imposed a new maritime deterrence equation by targeting Iranian oil tankers and increasing domestic pressure on the ruling regime."

The United States is tightening its maritime blockade on Iran and increasing economic sanctions in response to Iran's targeting of oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. These Iranian strikes on oil tankers have brought negotiations to a complete halt.

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