Iran faces credibility crisis in US diplomacy, researcher says

Iran is facing a duality in its rhetoric that reflects a deep credibility crisis in its diplomacy with the United States, according to Iran affairs researcher Islam Al-Mansi.

Speaking in an interview with Al Arabiya FM, Al-Mansi said Iran is currently divided between two camps: one representing hardliners, and the other seeking peace and an end to the crisis with the US.

He added that the credibility problem in Iran’s diplomatic statements has been exposed by its handling of memorandums of understanding and the negotiators’ willingness to cooperate on not targeting neighboring countries, while hardline voices simultaneously launch attacks that undermine the process.

Al-Mansi noted that Masoud Pezeshkian is trying to emphasize his country’s commitment to any agreement, knowing that the other side does not trust Tehran or its ability to act as a responsible power that honors its commitments.

He continued that if Iran truly possessed weapons capable of shifting the balance of power, it would have used them when the former Supreme Leader was killed, during the nearly forty-day war, or in subsequent rounds of military confrontation.

Al-Mansi concluded that Iran is constantly seeking to strengthen and prioritize the development of its military arsenal, driven by fears of a military attack—a concern confirmed by the Iranian army’s announcement of an imminent US assault.

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