Alex Vatanka

readjust its policy, both to minimize Tehran's ability to influence America's midterm elections in the short term, as well as maximize the chances in the ensuing weeks for a deal to end the conflict on terms that would be acceptable to U.S. interests?

To discuss all of that and more, we're joined once again by our colleague, MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka.

Alex specializes in Middle Eastern regional security affairs with a particular focus on Iran.

He's the author of several books, including most recently, The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran, The United States, Foreign Policy and Political Rivalry Since 1979.

But they also kind of make fun of the fact that here's an American president who's declared victory about 40 times.

since the summer, and he doesn't really know where he's going.

And that takes me to what I really think is genuinely the sort of prevalent view in the sort of inside Islamic Republic, which is to say, again, this is not Alex Vatanka saying this.

I have to be careful.