Opinion

Iran’s regime won’t negotiate in good faith. Trump must break its grip

Electricity grids, oil refineries, and command-and-control systems are now seen as the Iranian regime's critical vulnerability

By Erfan Fard Fox News

Published August 5, 2026 5:00am EDT

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Cyberattacks strike US water systems as Trump warns Iran over Strait of Hormuz

Ret. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Teichert joins ‘America Reports’ to analyze U.S.-Middle East tensions and President Donald Trump's threat of a ‘last chance’ for Iran.

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At Camp David, President Donald Trump signaled that Washington is entering a more dangerous phase in its confrontation with Iran. The objective is seemingly no longer limited to dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure; it is now to weaken the Islamic Republic’s ability to govern, sustain itself, and ultimately survive.

America’s strategy toward Iran is undergoing its most significant shift in decades. The objective is apparently no longer simply to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program, but to systematically degrade the regime’s capacity to govern and sustain itself. At Camp David, President Donald Trump said the United States is prepared to intensify military pressure, warning that Washington would "hit them very hard" until the regime reaches a point where it "can’t go on anymore."

Trump’s repeated cancellations of planned large-scale strikes have raised questions about U.S. credibility and strategic coherence. Meanwhile, Tehran — backed by Moscow and Beijing — is exploiting that uncertainty, while Trump appears to be placing his hopes on a faction within Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

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Many Iranians would welcome the ruling establishment’s humiliation, defeat, and eventual surrender. Although disrupting the regime’s critical infrastructure would impose temporary hardships, many opponents of the Islamic Republic see such suffering as the pain of childbirth — a difficult but necessary transition that could ultimately bring about the regime’s collapse.

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Meanwhile, Tehran’s propaganda machine has threatened broad retaliation, warning that attacks on critical infrastructure will provoke a severe response. These statements indirectly acknowledge the regime’s preparation for a wider confrontation with the United States and Israel. They also raise the possibility that Tehran could activate........

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