Iran refuses to give in, seeking greater global economic pain - The Washington Post

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Key Wu

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Mar 23, 2026, 12:37:25 PM (11 hours ago) Mar 23
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Why Iran does not appear ready to give in, despite heavy losses

Tehran’s unwillingness to capitulate as the war enters its fourth week is wrapped up in the power it exerts over the Strait of Hormuz, officials in the region say.

As the war in Iran enters its fourth week, with U.S. operations increasingly focused on global energy flows, Tehran is rebuffing efforts to identify a diplomatic off-ramp from the war launched by the United States and Israel, according to officials in the region.

Instead, Tehran is escalating attacks on its neighbors, betting it can ratchet up global economic pain faster than the Trump administration can relieve it with military force, according to an Iranian diplomat, two European diplomats stationed in the region and a senior Arab official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media on sensitive details.

Iran’s unwillingness to capitulate is wrapped up in the power it exerts over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s fuel shipments transit, that Tehran has largely closed, roiling energy markets. President Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline on Saturday to reopen the critical waterway, threatening to “obliterate” the country’s power plants if Tehran doesn’t comply.

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