Topic analysis

Iran war: Rifts in regime bigger threat to ceasefire

US and Iranian negotiators are set to meet in Islamabad this weekend to solidify a two-week ceasefire, though internal rifts within Iran’s regime—including hardliners pushing for continued confrontation, fears of public unrest, and ideological divisions—pose a major threat to the truce’s durability. Observers note that a lasting peace agreement requires not only consensus between the US and Iran but also buy-in from all powerful factions within the Iranian regime, alongside a shift away from ideological confrontation.