Iran faces ‘no-win situation’ as sanctions, threat of Israeli strikes loom

With UN sanctions set to be reactivated against Iran on Sunday, Tehran finds itself facing a tough choice between capitulation to US President Donald Trump’s demands for “unconditional surrender” over its nuclear programme and further Israeli attacks.
With an equally unpalatable option of mediation by distrustful Gulf Arab neighbours that it has intimidated for decades, Tehran is playing for time in the hope that Washington can be persuaded to resume bilateral negotiations that were scuttled by…