00:00And what do you think the Iranian side thinks about the United States in terms of fractures
00:06and divisions that can be exploited?
00:08Because there must be a number of America's allies that are calling into the Oval Office
00:15and saying to President Trump, our economy can't stand this much longer.
00:19I mean, the Iranians must be acutely aware of that.
00:22Do you think they're managing to somehow use that to their advantage?
00:27I think Iran is using their own resilience to their advantage.
00:31I do think that, as you say, they will be acutely aware of these dynamics, not just internationally,
00:38not just by U.S. Gulf partners, for example, who indeed are suffering significantly, but
00:44at the same time need to see an outcome of this conflict that doesn't leave them more
00:49vulnerable to Iran.
00:50I think that the Iranians are probably also seeing quite a bit of discord within the U.S.
00:55system itself.
00:57We've got midterm elections approaching, and Iran will be acutely aware that the president,
01:02for political reasons, would like to wrap up this conflict as quickly as possible to be
01:07able to claim victory.
01:09And so I think that they're probably assessing that there is greater urgency on the part of
01:14the United States than they themselves feel on their side.
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