THE KEY IS TO BELIEVE THEM SUB-HUMAN:

"What Trump is about to do is extend the life of the regime by another 30 years," an elderly Iranian-American told CNN in the hours before the speech. The Islamic Republic, established in the wake of the overthrow of the autocratic, staunchly pro-Western Shah, was just a few months shy of its 40th birthday. The nuclear deal, on the other hand, seemed to serve as the opening salvo of reform in the country.

In June 2017, Iranians had shown up in droves to reelect President Hassan Rouhani in what was seen as a referendum on his landmark deal. The urgency to preserve the most significant opening up of the insular country to the West was palpable.

But along came Trump. And Iranians, who have arguably witnessed more dramatic political twists and turns in the last seven decades than any other people, knew that the US President's plans would backfire.

The so-called "maximum pressure" campaign would not achieve its stated goal of toppling Iran's clerical establishment. It would prop it up. The skepticism of the West that forms the ideological core of the regime would be underscored, highlighted and scribbled around in frenzied circles.

Iran had kept up its end of the bargain, by the State Department's own admission, but the US pulled out anyway. The ensuing sanctions led to rampant food and medicine shortages, and sent the country into a financial tailspin. European parties to the deal proved powerless in salvaging it.

"We told you so," the conservatives told Iranians a thousand times over.

Tweet   @brothersjudd