▶Sadjadpour consistently asserts that the Trump administration's policy toward Iran involves maximum economic and military pressure, citing the withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, and a significant military buildup [28, 27, 31, 36].Apr 2026
▶He repeatedly states that any potential U.S. military action against Iran will be closely coordinated with Israel, which is both publicly supportive and privately encouraging such a strike [18, 30].Apr 2026
▶A core point of agreement in his analysis is that the Iranian regime's ideology, particularly Supreme Leader Khamenei's decades-long principle of resistance against the U.S., is the primary obstacle to a diplomatic solution [6, 10, 22].Apr 2026
▶He consistently characterizes the Iranian regime as being on 'borrowed time' due to widespread popular opposition and economic problems, drawing parallels to the final years of the Soviet Union [3, 4, 21, 25].
▶While Sadjadpour asserts that an estimated 80% of the Iranian population opposes the regime, this is presented as a speculative estimate rather than a hard fact, leaving the true extent of popular dissent open to interpretation [3].Apr 2026
▶He presents a contrast between the public and private positions of Persian Gulf countries, stating they will publicly oppose a U.S. strike while their private actions or desires may differ, creating an area of geopolitical uncertainty [15].Apr 2026
▶Sadjadpour notes that while there is a 'decent likelihood' of an attempt to assassinate Ayatollah Khamenei in a U.S. strike, this remains a speculative possibility rather than a confirmed component of U.S. strategy [19].Apr 2026
▶He describes the U.S.-Iran tension as a 'game of chicken' between two leaders, implying that while his analysis points toward conflict, the outcome is not fully determined and depends on the actions of key individuals [22].
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