“His endorsement reinforces the military threat underpinning that strategy. But it does not mean diplomacy is finished. Trump still wants a deal he can present as a victory. The danger is that Tehran increasingly believes it must escalate to improve its bargaining position.”

Andreas Krieg · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-19

Krieg argued that Trump's endorsement reinforces the military threat behind his strategy but does not mean diplomacy is finished.