The Wall Street Journal: Tehran urgently seeks a negotiation "escape route" under Israeli airstrikes.

On June 17, Jin10 reported, according to the Wall Street Journal, diplomats and analysts say that Iran’s next move could determine whether the regime can survive what is arguably the most serious crisis since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Tehran views negotiations as a possible “escape route,” a way to save face while maintaining its rule. Iran has canceled the talks originally scheduled for Sunday with the U.S. regarding the nuclear agreement, but as Israeli attacks intensify, Tehran has signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically. President Trump has also expressed a desire to reach an agreement and end the war. He confirmed on Monday that Iran has made contact through a middleman. Although Iran has been weakened by the attacks, it remains unclear how much compromise it is willing to make in terms of the conditions or substance of the negotiations. Senior Iranian officials have publicly expressed distrust of Trump and dismissed his claims that the U.S. was not involved in Israel’s attacks on Iran. However, while condemning Israel, they have also been careful not to harshly attack the Trump administration, fearing any actions that could provoke the U.S. and lead to confrontation.