Facing Trump's ultimatum of "unconditional surrender," Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei gave an extremely tough response, has he put life and death aside?

After Trump issued the threat, Khamenei immediately delivered a nationwide television speech, claiming that Iran would not give in. He also warned that if the U.S. attempted to intervene with force, it would pay an irreparable price.

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations also sent signals, stating that Iran would respond to the U.S. with "strong and appropriate" measures when necessary.

[Khamenei refuses unconditional surrender, warns the U.S. not to act rashly]

However strong, if the U.S. insists on intervening, Iran seems to have no choice but to passively wait for the U.S. military to fire the "first shot," then the outside world will know whether Iran has the courage to launch a full-scale counterattack.

Whether Khamenei has truly put life and death aside and made preparations for all scenarios is unclear. This assumption has no meaning until it actually happens.

Apparently, Trump hasn't made up his mind yet. Although the U.S. has deployed forces in the Middle East, there have been no further actions. The White House emphasized that this was a "defensive strategy."

According to sources, after more than an hour of discussion with his advisors in the Situation Room, Trump approved the plan to strike Iran but did not order its execution.

Clearly, at this critical moment, Trump began to waver. He lacked the certainty to decisively take action.

[Will Iran be as tough as ever this time?]

To some extent, both the U.S. and Iran face similar dilemmas. Everyone can talk tough and make gestures, but when it comes to taking action, they hesitate again. After all, any decision carries consequences, and once things go wrong, it becomes an unbearable burden for national destiny.

How to deal with the current tense situation, Trump's cabinet has obviously split into two factions.

The hawks still hold traditional views, advocating a hardline stance against Iran, actively responding to Israel's demands, believing that any cost is worth it as long as the nuclear issue is permanently resolved;

However, the isolationists who advocate "America First" are countering America's long-standing political instinct of supporting Israel, unwilling to let the national strategy be led by Israel, and persuading Trump not to waste time in the Middle East.

There is another point of contention: Israel insists that Iran will soon possess nuclear weapons, and the weaker Iran becomes, the faster this process will happen. During this period, Trump has continued to pressure Iran under the pretext of "preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons," demanding that Iran completely abandon uranium enrichment capabilities.

[Trump has already approved the plan to strike Iran but has not officially ordered its execution]

However, the general conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community is that Iran is not actively pursuing nuclear weapons, leaving room for diplomatic resolution, which made Trump very unhappy because it amounted to undermining his own strategy and questioning his judgment.

In general, Trump either fully supports Israel and orders the U.S. military to unleash firepower against Iran, even promoting regime change in Iran; or he remains passive and does nothing, adapting to developments as they occur.

After careful consideration, Trump adopted a compromise solution. On one hand, based on the framework of the U.S.-Israel alliance, he continued to provide various forms of support to Israel but did not directly participate in the attack. Then, through multiple channels, he exerted pressure on Iran, creating a military deterrence posture to force the latter to make concessions in negotiations.

Senior officials in the White House also hinted that the U.S. was observing whether Iran would abandon its nuclear program.

[The U.S. military is ready to strike Iran]

If Trump does not receive what he wants before the end of this week, the U.S. military will "launch a strike" to destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities with maximum firepower.

As for Iran, Khamenei seems to have no other choice but to stand firm. This is not a good time to compromise. If they give in now, they will only invite further aggression from the U.S.-Israel alliance, losing face and substance.

But can saying tough words alone help Iran get out of its current predicament? The answer is clearly no. Iran has always considered itself a chess player in the Middle East but has fallen into the trap of being overly ambitious, making its national fate a casualty of its geopolitical ambitions.

We can also see that after six days of mutual airstrikes between Iran and Israel, both sides' air defense systems were pushed to their limits. Israel could not stop Iran from retaliating, and when Iran struck back, Israel could only watch helplessly, relying on U.S. assistance.

[Many American conservatives do not want to be drawn into Middle Eastern conflicts]

Thus, neither side felt much discomfort when claiming "air superiority."

The situation temporarily陷入了 a stalemate, with the U.S. being the variable that could tip the scales and influence the outcome of the war.

For Trump, this decision was not easy. He wanted to project an image of toughness in foreign policy while avoiding the consequences of rushing into action.

Because he has repeatedly promised to "free America from endless foreign wars," this is a huge political burden for Trump.

In fact, Trump's base MAGA faction has begun to question whether it is worth risking so much to support Israel.

Worse still, some argue that if Iran takes extreme measures, the U.S. may be drawn into another Middle Eastern quagmire, and Trump's presidency might end prematurely.

In the end, regardless of whether Trump wants it or not, the ball is back in his court. He can continue to threaten Iran, but if he keeps issuing ultimatums, no one will take them seriously.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517501962410132007/

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