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Tehran Says Iran, US Reach Agreement On 'Guiding Principles'

Has Iran's military deterrence shifted the military balance in the Persian Gulf or is the regime making a fatal miscalculation?
Tehran Says Iran, US Reach Agreement On 'Guiding Principles'
Above: U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (L) and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Image credit: Evelyn Hockstein and Amer Hilabi/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-Iran narrative

Iran's multilayered deterrence doctrine has fundamentally shifted the military balance in the Persian Gulf, making consequence-free attacks impossible. With vast stockpiles of ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and thousands of drones capable of targeting U.S. bases within 1,000 kilometers, any confrontation would escalate into a regional crisis affecting vital global energy routes. Washington’s threats and naval deployments are escalating tensions, narrowing the remaining space for negotiation and increasing the likelihood of a wider regional conflict.

Anti-Iran narrative

After 47 years of stalling tactics and broken promises, Iran's regime continues repairing bombed nuclear sites while slaughtering civilian protesters and funding terrorist proxies throughout the region. The mullahs refuse to negotiate away their ballistic missile arsenal capable of reaching the U.S. East Coast, acting as if they hold the upper hand when they clearly don't. With Israel and America acting together and unprecedented military assets deployed to the region, the regime risks a grave miscalculation: assuming it can persist in destabilizing activities without incurring meaningful consequences.

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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0