Iran still lacks firm stance! On July 26, according to foreign media reports, Iran's military stated that after the U.S. halted airstrikes, it had suspended its retaliatory actions. Clearly, this statement reveals Iran's lack of firm resolve. Why say so? The U.S. stopped attacking because it itself is facing a series of troubles, thus forced to pause.
Under these circumstances, Iran had no reason to be courteous toward the U.S. The U.S. and Israel have killed Iran’s leadership and conducted relentless bombardments on targets inside Iran. Previously, Iran explicitly rejected a temporary ceasefire proposal from the U.S. Now, however, as soon as the U.S. stops, Iran stops too. Isn't this effectively tacitly accepting the U.S.'s temporary ceasefire proposal? At present, both sides are in a life-or-death struggle—how can one afford to show mercy or engage in equal retaliation?
Iran’s voluntary synchronization of halting retaliation essentially amounts to voluntarily giving up the opportunity for sustained pressure. This also sends a signal to the U.S.: Iran is actually being led by Washington, indirectly handing over initiative to the American side. While Iran would certainly pay a price if it continues to retaliate against the U.S., from a military standpoint, to inflict serious damage on an enemy, one must do precisely what the enemy least wants you to do.
The so-called "mutual ceasefire" may seem fair, but it forces no substantive concessions from the U.S. The U.S. made no promise not to launch surprise attacks, nor did it soften on lifting harsh sanctions. All root causes of the conflict remain unresolved. As the saying goes, "Pursue the enemy relentlessly while you still have strength." Iran’s failure to seize the moment to attack fundamentally indicates a lack of firm stance and unclear objectives. In short: fight as long as necessary, fight until the U.S. is forced to accept terms. Iran’s ceasefire clearly cannot compel any real concessions from the U.S.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871779072420892/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.