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Even a Nuclear Deal Will Not Tame Tehran
(Guardian-UK) Simon Tisdall - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's harshly anti-Western, anti-American stance, rooted in questionable theology, deep paranoia and profound personal ignorance of the world, is Tehran's dominant political brand. No matter that it impoverishes and isolates Iranians while endangering their neighbors. Internal repression is terrifying. Political dissidents, women's rights activists, ethnic minorities, dual nationals and Baha'is are persecuted mercilessly. Iran's economy is plagued by endemic corruption. While oil and gas export earnings have risen, officials, clergy and other groups linked to the regime are the main beneficiaries. It's a mullah's version of trickle-down economics, without the trickle. The Biden administration may soon agree to a revised nuclear pact. Yet deal or no deal, the regime's behavior seems unlikely to alter radically. Israeli leaders are skeptical that so malign an adversary will stick to any nuclear agreement. Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour says Americans should be deeply suspicious of Tehran's intentions because Khamenei's grip on power pivots on unceasing confrontation with the Great Satan. Iran's leaders couldn't change even if they wanted to, he argued. "Even if the nuclear deal is revived, Tehran's worldview will endure."