Why a weakened Iran is insisting on prolonging the war

(Mostafa Salem – CNN) Even as Iran confronts the gravest threat to its regime yet, it is signaling a willingness to prolong its conflict with the United States and Israel in a bid to finally reshape the region in its favor. Iran’s regime has endured devastating losses over the past few weeks, with near daily US-Israeli strikes eliminating entire tiers of its leadership and military command structure. The Iranian population, already worn down by years of economic hardship, sanctions and mismanagement, now faces the added burdens of wartime shortages, infrastructure damage and an increasingly militarized domestic environment. Yet amid a real risk of regime collapse, the Islamic Republic’s surviving leaders have continued projecting an escalatory rhetoric. – Why a weakened Iran is insisting on prolonging the war | CNN