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  • The Atlantic

    The Iranian Hedgehog vs. the American Fox

    The escalation between the two countries is being driven by the clashing temperaments of their leaders.
    by Karim Sadjadpour Jun 21, 2019 4 minutes
    Source: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

    Though few citizens of the United States or Iran seek conflict, the two countries are on a dangerous trajectory that has less and less to do with the diverging interest of two nation-states. More and more, the escalation is being driven by the clashing temperaments of two cynical elderly men. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 80-year-old Iranian supreme leader, has been steadfast, even monomaniacal, in opposing the United States. In contrast, the 73-year-old Donald Trump has employed a flurry of strategies—from flattering Iran to coming within minutes of military strikes—to bring Tehran to heel.  

    The Oxford University philosopher Isaiah offers a simple dichotomy to explain recent dynamics between the United States and Iran—or, rather, between Trump and Khamenei.

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