The question on every analyst’s mind remains unanswered: Is Trump’s rhetoric a negotiating tactic designed to extract maximum concessions, or a genuine prelude to devastating military action? The distribution of iodine pills in Bushehr suggests Iran is preparing for the worst. The release of hostages suggests it is simultaneously hoping for the best.
What is certain is that the stakes could not be higher. A full-scale U.S. military campaign against Iran would reshape the Middle East, roil global energy markets, and — if nuclear weapons entered the equation — cross a threshold not breached since 1945. The world watches, and waits.
