Source: The American Conservative
by Ted Snider
“As Iranians marked the failure of the U.S. military to defeat their country and indeed celebrated a perceived victory, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and head of the negotiating team, Mohammad Ghalibaf, insisted that ‘we are not stronger than the United States in military power.’ Ghalibaf suggested Iran shouldn’t expect to ‘destroy’ the enemy, but instead should translate its battlefield gains into diplomatic leverage. U.S. officials have shown less humility. … Though Iran has been hammered, Ghalibaf may be right to think the Islamic Republic has won diplomatic leverage — and the proud people of Iran whom he chided may be closer to the truth than the boastful Americans. The most obvious source of newfound diplomatic leverage for Iran is its effective control of the Strait of Hormuz, but battlefield outcomes have also made Tehran think it has the advantage in negotiations.” (0501/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/one-big-reason-iran-thinks-it-has-the-advantage/