Iran's Rulers Choose Risk of War Over Conceding to U.S. Demands

Facing a buildup of American warships and fighter jets, Tehran has refused to meet President Trump’s demands on uranium enrichment and ballistic missiles. The clerical leadership views such concessions as a threat to its ideology and sovereignty, a danger they consider greater than the risk of war.

“Avoiding war is indeed a high priority, but not at any cost,” said Sasan Karimi, a political scientist who served in the previous government. The two sides remain locked over red lines: the administration seeks zero enrichment and limits on missile range and militia support, while Iran insists on its right to civilian nuclear activity and on missiles capable of reaching Israel as essential to its defense.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has framed the dispute as existential: “Nuclear energy is not the problem, nor are human rights; America’s problem is with the very existence of the Islamic Republic.” Diplomats are due to meet in Geneva in a last-ditch effort that may offer Iran a limited civilian enrichment program as an off-ramp to war.

Iran, Tehran

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