It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Ayatollah and the Regime have not made concessions nor real negotiations here at the last minute. Historically, he always digs in his wheels, but not just with the U.S. or his regional neighbors or the UN or you name the entity, with the Iranian people. There is no brook, no dissension allowed. This is so much of his downfall and that of the Regime. Perhaps it will become a military state. A thugocracy is a real possibility. Theocracy? No, the people have had enough of a Shia Revolution. Will the country break into two or three parts? See “Trump weighs major new strike on Iran as nuclear discussions show no progress,” CNN, 1-29-26.
Finally. Took a lot of death in Iran to get this over the finish line in Brussels. “EU designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terror group,” DW, 1-29-26. Last thing to mention on this—the persons blacklisted by the EU for their actions during Jan. 8-9 had better watch their back, the U.S. knows who they are also. The story listed some of them: “Among those on the list of 15 individuals sanctioned on Thursday were Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Iran’s prosecutor general Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, who is head of Iran’s joint command headquarters, and Iman Afshari, a presiding judge.” See also “EU adds Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to terrorist list,” BBC, 1-29-26.
“Israel, Saudi officials visit Washington to discuss possible U.S. strikes on Iran, sources say,” Reuters, 1-29-26. This story could be accurate, or it could be a ruse.
“What could happen if the US strikes Iran? Here are seven scenarios,” BBC, 1-29-26. Reasonable list. But it is complex situation, with so many ways this could end up, even over the short-term. Just compare how the U.S. is handling Venezuela, and almost the “model” situation there.
“How a month of protests and threats brought Trump to Iran strike decision point,” Iran International, 1-29-26. “Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder met senior officials at the Pentagon, the CIA and the White House on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to US officials and other sources familiar with the discussions, as Israel shared intelligence it says could inform potential targets inside Iran, Axios reported on Thursday. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman was expected in Washington on Thursday and Friday for meetings at the Pentagon, the State Department and the White House, including with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, sources said.”
A comprehensive yet basic location list of U.S. assets. The Iranians and Russians and others know this, also. But this article does make you think, though, why doesn’t the NYT run the same information about Iran? Its motto is “All the news that’s fit to print.” See “Where the U.S. Is Building Up Military Force Near Iran,” NYT, 1-29-26.