The US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran has backfired spectacularly, exposing the fragility of American power and the fatal delusion of Gulf states that aligned with Washington. As the Axis of Resistance stands resolute, a humbled United States is now scrambling for an exit, while the Gulf regimes are left to absorb the devastating economic and strategic consequences of their subservience.
Zero Concessions: Tehran Dictates the Terms
Speaking on the strategic realities of the ongoing conflict, Professor Mohammad Marandi made it unequivocally clear that the Islamic Republic will offer absolutely no concessions to a weakened and politically paralysed US administration. Following recent American midterm elections—which exposed Donald Trump’s waning domestic grip and the Zionist entity’s own political fragility—Tehran’s position has only hardened.
“Why in the world would Iran reduce its demands or change its position when its hand is actually stronger today than it was before?” Marandi declared.
Tehran insists on strict adherence to the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and its seven fundamental demands. Marandi dismissed any mediation efforts by regional actors like Qatar or Pakistan, stating that diplomacy is futile unless Washington completely honours its prior commitments. Capitulation is not in the vocabulary of the Axis; any attempt by the US to extract flexibility will only invite further pressure and collapse any prospects for a durable settlement.
The Enemy is Suffocating: Washington Scrambles for an Exit
The cracks within the enemy’s command structure are becoming impossible to hide. Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson admitted that the Trump administration is desperately seeking an “off-ramp” to escape the disastrous war.
Internal friction is reaching a boiling point. Johnson noted that Vice President JD Vance has reportedly tied Republican electoral defeats directly to the reckless war on Iran, calling for a reassessment of relations with the Zionist entity. Trump’s inability to publicly silence Vance signals a deep crisis within the American political elite, proving that the American-Zionist war machine is suffocating under the weight of its own catastrophic failures.
The Fatal Delusion of Gulf Subservience
The true cost of bowing to Washington is being paid in blood and treasure by the Persian Gulf nations. While Saudi Arabia and Qatar claim they will no longer allow their soil to be used as a launching pad for attacks against Iran, Marandi exposed their continued complicity in American aggression.
Gulf airspace remains open to American refuelling aircraft, and US drones continue to operate from their territories. “The United States doesn’t protect them. The United States sacrificed them,” Marandi stated, delivering a blunt warning to Gulf monarchies. By relying on a failing superpower, these regimes are being bled dry economically for a war that guarantees them absolutely no security.
Furthermore, the economic devastation wrought by the war is irreversible. Johnson warned that simply reopening the Strait of Hormuz will not miraculously heal the shattered regional infrastructure. The destruction of energy production facilities, crippled shipping capacities, and looming environmental disasters will plague the Gulf economies long after the guns fall silent. The Axis’s steadfastness has exacted an irreversible toll on those who chose the side of the aggressors.
Strategic Brotherhood: The Tehran-Moscow Axis
In a move that further isolates the imperialist order, the strategic brotherhood between Tehran and Moscow is deepening. Marandi swiftly dismissed Western media narratives attempting to frame the recent high-level meeting between Mohsen Rezaei and Russian President Vladimir Putin as mere mediation between Tehran and Washington.
The reality is far more threatening to American hegemony: the two nations are finalising massive bilateral agreements encompassing deep military integration, the North-South transport corridor, and a direct gas pipeline.
“The Iranian-Russian relationship today is the best that it’s ever been in history,” Marandi affirmed.
Through shared experiences in Syria, the defence of Ukraine, and the resistance against the US war on Iran, the Axis of Resistance operates with profound strategic depth, completely independent of, and highly insulated from, American dictates.
The message from Tehran is clear: The era of American dictation is over. The Axis stands firm, and the arrogant powers—and their regional proxies—will be forced to accept the new reality.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen