Rouhollah Rahimpour, a political analyst, told Iran International that, under current conditions, the Islamic Republic is seeking to buy time and maintain the situation of “not war, not negotiations.”

He believes Tehran hopes that by prolonging the circumstances, it can get past the pressures from the Trump administration and, while preserving a superficial level of tension over the Strait of Hormuz, push the U.S. to grant concessions or keep the current situation.