Vasli Nasr (JohnHopkinsU) suggests the Tangerine Tyrant may have allowed Iran to commence a strategic asymmetric war to their own ends:

'Iran’s leaders entered this war with the goal of ensuring it will be the last one. Either it breaks them or radically changes the country’s circumstances. They are betting on surviving long enough & squeezing the global economy hard enough to realise that goal' securing a ceasefire agreement safeguarding their sovereignty & future.

#Iran #MiddelEast
h/t FT