Negotiate Or Fight: 6 Months Into War, Iran Is Split Over What To Do Next

The struggle for power inside Iran may well determine when its war with the United States ends. After six months of war, one group wants talks and a possible settlement with the US, while hardliners want the country to continue resisting.President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are among those calling for an agreement with the US. They argue that Iran's struggling economy, the US naval blockade and damage to the country's infrastructure make it important to end the war before the situation gets worse, according to CNN.Pezeshkian has said Iran should try to end the war while it can still negotiate from a position of strength. Supporters of talks also believe a deal with Washington could help Iran tackle its economic problems and reduce its isolation."The war must end at some point. It would be better to end it today, while we are in a position of strength and dignity, and the entire world acknowledges our victory," Pezeshkian said last month, as reported by Al Jazeera.But Iran's hardliners strongly oppose negotiations. They say the US cannot be trusted and point to the 2015 nuclear deal, which was signed by then President Barack Obama but later abandoned by US President Donald Trump. They also point to US military action during periods when talks were taking place."They see the US as a deeply untrustworthy actor… and (have) been burnt so many times by Trump himself that they think that this is exactly what will happen again," Sanam Vakil, the director of the Middle East and North Africa program at London's Chatham House think tank told CNN.Hardliners believe Iran can continue to withstand US pressure through its missiles, drones, regional allies and resistance. Some have also accused moderate leaders of presenting the country's economic problems to build support for a deal.According to Vakil, some hardliners believe they cannot get a deal they want from Trump.Hardline lawmaker Kamran Ghazanfari accused politicians supporting negotiations of trying to convince Iranians to accept what he called a humiliating peace."Yet the enemy has repeatedly shown that no matter how many concessions we make to it, no matter how much we retreat before it, it will never be satisfied and will continue to demand other things from us, and it will settle for nothing less than our complete surrender," Ghazanfari said.Trump's mixed statements are making things worse. He has spoken about wanting Iran to become stronger, but has also threatened the country. According to Vakil, this makes Iranian hardliners even more suspicious of US intentions."Trump is not helping. He says he wants to make Iran great again then threatens Iran in the next tweet, and that fans the flame of paranoia within the Iranian system," Vakil added.Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has been keeping out of the public argument. Because if he openly supports negotiations with Trump, hardliners could see it as a weakness. But if he firmly rejects talks, he could make it harder for Iran to find a way out of the war.