Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has been blunt: any reports of diplomatic contact with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are “a lie.” This total rejection of dialogue has left a vacuum where a peaceful resolution once stood. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike in an environment where the “silence before the storm” has become deafening, as both sides have effectively stopped speaking to each other.
The demands from the U.S. side have only grown more stringent, moving beyond nuclear issues to include the removal of the Supreme Leader and the dismantling of the IRGC. Witkoff’s insistence on the return of UN inspectors and the removal of all enriched uranium are seen by Tehran as a demand for a “pre-emptive surrender.” The Iranian government is bracing for a strike because they believe the diplomatic price for peace has become higher than the cost of war.
This diplomatic breakdown has had a direct impact on the domestic situation. Without the hope of a deal that could lift sanctions, the economy has spiraled into 60% inflation and a record-breaking stock market crash. The chief justice, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, has even argued that returning to the table would be a sign of weakness, effectively locking the country into a collision course with the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The U.S. administration is equally dug in. President Trump’s “locked and loaded” stance is a reaction to the failure of previous diplomatic efforts to stop the crackdown on protesters. By sending a carrier strike group, Washington is signaling that the era of “strategic patience” is over. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will be the “comprehensive” answer to their refusal to negotiate.
As the carrier group settles into its final position, the lack of a diplomatic breakthrough is the most dangerous factor in the region. The Iranian government is bracing for a “comprehensive and regrettable” response to any aggression, but with no one left to talk to, the only thing left to do is wait for the first missile.
“It’s a Lie”: Tehran Rejects Talks as Iranian Government Braces for the Silence Before the Storm
