In ancient Persian literature, there is a story with profound implications about subtle blackmail. It is said that a vain mayor decided to teach his favorite donkey how to read. He announced a reward of one thousand dirhams to anyone who could accomplish the task.
Khoja Nasruddin, known as Juha, applied for the job. The mayor asked whether he could actually teach the donkey. Juha replied, “Yes, my lord, but I need five years to complete the task.” He also requested a house and servants, and the mayor agreed, but threatened to behead him if he failed to complete the task.
When Juha returned home, some of his friends questioned his decision, asking, “Are you crazy to accept this job, knowing that teaching a donkey to read is impossible?” Juha replied, “You are the madmen. In five years, either the donkey will die, I will die, or the governor will die.”
The Persians often cite this story to illustrate the use of time as a bargaining chip when goals cannot be immediately achieved. This is what is happening today between the United States and Iran.
Tehran faces three possibilities: either President Donald Trump’s term ends before any agreement is reached, the US Congress intervenes to prevent him from continuing the war without authorization, or a major development changes the current dynamics. Yes, the leaders of the Iranian regime realize they are playing for time, especially given that the current US administration differs from its predecessor. This administration is well aware of Iran’s weaknesses and of the mounting pressure on state institutions caused by the suffering of the Iranian people, such that these institutions have been unable to pay salaries to employees to this day.
The cost-of-living crisis has become increasingly unbearable, while opposition forces have regrouped. Recent days have also seen tensions along the borders and internal unrest within Iran. Therefore, relying on these factors alone will not serve Tehran’s interests, as it is unable to change the regional and international reality, while its internal situation remains fraught with risks. The situation could explode any moment, particularly as the economic crisis continues to deepen to unprecedented levels.
The exchange rate of the Iranian Toman has reached over 1.8 million to 1 US dollar. Many know that Iran is in a defeated position, relying on time in the hope of receiving crumbs that could revive the current regime. The Iranian regime’s primary concern is to avoid collapse, and nothing else matters to Tehran beyond that.
Tehran submits daily proposals to Pakistani intermediaries, which are then relayed to Washington. At the same time, US President Donald Trump has been stating that what Iran is offering is insufficient, which indicates that negotiations are stalled and moving in circles.
Despite this, both the Iranian people and the region continue to suffer from a state of neither war nor peace following the extension of the American ceasefire. This is why Trump recently stated that, “Iran has not paid enough for what it has done to its neighbors, the world, and humanity for 47 years.”
President Trump was firm when he stressed that even if Tehran were to open the Strait of Hormuz, it would continue to face long-term consequences, as it has no clear roadmap for reviving the regime, and that its only remaining option is to surrender. Events throughout the past century have shown that a shrinking of Iran’s territory has often followed defeats and have contributed to a pattern of successive defeats. Therefore, the current Persian ambitions are nothing more than a mirage that will not achieve the outcomes the Iranian regime seeks.
