Tehran Won’t Tolerate a Reset with Washington—But Will Take a Deal

In a recent public address, Supreme Leader Khamenei railed against the West and domestic “traitors” for blocking the Islamic Republic from blossoming into a global beacon of scientific progress and establishing an advanced “modern Islamic civilization.” Kafkaesque is the apt word here because Khamenei has engaged in rampant mismanagement resulting in a plethora of national crises, from brain drain to social discontent to environmental degradation. Yet, instead of honoring the work of intellectuals and other pioneers, the paranoid regime has persecuted, jailed, and sometimes even killed them, including those who were not open dissenters. Tehran’s behavior can be likened to an arsonist who sets fire to a house, kneecaps the firefighters, and then blames the residents...

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