Iran’s rulers view negotiations, ceasefires and temporary understandings as tools for survival—not as evidence that they have abandoned their long-term objectives, Moshe Reuveni warned during a NEWSRAEL briefing.
According to Reuveni, Tehran believes it can outlast democratic governments. Israel and the United States must answer to voters, public opinion and a free press, while Iran’s dictatorship can tolerate enormous civilian suffering without changing course. Its leaders are prepared to wait for elections, leadership changes and political divisions in the West.
Iranian officials calculate that President Donald Trump will eventually leave office and that Israel’s political leadership may also change. For that reason, Tehran’s strategy is to delay, preserve its remaining uranium and nuclear infrastructure, and resume its program when international pressure weakens.
Reuveni said this difference between democracies and dictatorships creates a major strategic disadvantage. Democratic leaders face pressure to end wars quickly, while the Iranian regime thinks in decades and considers temporary setbacks acceptable so long as it survives.