Is Trump’s only achievement in Iran making the country hate him?
Iran has achieved the one thing it wanted from Trump’s war, while the president has made himself hated, and validated the Islamic Regime he wanted to end. Scientist, journalist and advisor Ali Vaez explains how this happened.
Listen to this article
What’s the story?
Iran’s Islamic Regime has achieved the one thing it wanted during the 40-day war with the US and Israel – survival.
Ali Vaez, senior advisor for non-profit organisation Crisis Group says not only did the Iranian regime survive weeks of bombardment by two nuclear powers, it has also been able to set the terms for upcoming negotiations.
Talks are set to start imminently in Islamabad, Pakistan, between the warring nations.
“The basis of these talks is the 10-point plan that Iran sent to the US, not the 15-point plan that the US had put on the table,” Vaez tells Lewis Goodall.
“This, for the regime, is already considered a victory.”
The priority for Iran's leaders in these talks, Vaez says, is a source of revenue for reconstruction after devastation from US and Israeli bombings.
"The most important thing they want is either sanctions relief, or that they remain in control of the Strait of Hormuz, this critical choke point in the world, and use it as a source of revenue by charging transit fees," he says.
Vaez admits he did not expect Iran to withstand the combined military power of the US and Israel – but says they did so with “cold-minded and very sober” decision-making.
Not only did the regime survive, he believes it has become stronger – at least in the short term.
How has Iran’s regime strengthened?
Before the US and Israel invaded Iran, many believed the country’s citizens would welcome US intervention as protests swept the country, and protesters were killed in huge numbers by government forces.
But now, that support for Trump is long gone, Vaez claims.
“Trump's rhetoric about erasure of a civilisation in Iran could be portrayed as animosity towards the country, not just the regime,” he says.
Vaez adds that Trump’s extreme threats during the past week have been used to “validate” the Islamic Regime’s narrative. Additionally, it has made it more difficult for people in Iran to express any public dissent, as protesters will simply be portrayed as colluding with the enemy.
Long term, however, Vaez says there will need to be significant changes if the regime intends to hold onto power.
“The regime won't be stable unless it manages to bring about meaningful reforms and changes that would allow it to address at least one of the elements of the people's grievances,” he says.
The protests were held by a population angry at the country’s failing economy.
“It must introduce more social freedoms, or some sort of achievement that could rewrite the social contract with the society,” Vaez continues.
“If it fails to do that, it would definitely face serious challenges down the road, because we've seen repeated protests in recent years, and the fundamental grievances of the population are not going to go away.”
Is Trump’s big achievement in Iran to make the country hate him?
In January 2026, Trump told the people of Iran that “help is on the way” and called on them to keep protesting.
No help was sent by the US president, only bombs.
“President Trump said he would go to the rescue of Iranian protesters. Not only did he not do that, he left them to be massacred during the January protest,” Vaez says.
“He intervened in February, and since then, has threatened Iran with this civilisational erasure.”
This rhetoric, he adds, demonstrates neither Trump, nor American officials, care about Iranian people.
“Trump has made no distinction between the regime and the population, saying he'll bomb them 'back to the stone ages', where they belong,” He adds.
“That is exactly what I think has generated a lot of hatred within many segments of the Iranian society – and in a way, is the best propaganda that the regime could have hoped for.
“It has been saying these things now for 47 years. The US cannot be trusted, that the US is after all of us.”
Trump’s biggest mistake
Israel has wanted US support in an Iranian invasion for many years, considering it an existential threat.
Only Trump took the bait – and now it appears to have backfired, badly.
“Backing Benjamin Netanyahu has produced the opposite of what was promised to President Trump, which was the rapid collapse of this regime and its replacement with a political order that would be aligned with the United States and Israel.
“It has made all of the problems that we were dealing with with regards to Iran – whether it's domestic repression, regional aggression, nuclear ambitions or relations with Russia and China – exponentially harder to solve.”
“This has been a strategic blunder for the United States.”