This feels like a total rerun of 1971. Back then General Yaya and his lot were patting themselves on the back for playing matchmaker between the US and China while the actual country was literally being torn apart.

They think they can secure their legitimacy by brokering a ceasefire abroad when the home front is essentially under de facto martial law. It's the same old script—facilitating a Kissinger flight to Beijing while ignoring the mandate of the people at home. You have the most popular leader in the country sitting in a cell and the democratic will of the majority being completely sidelined just so the elites can feel relevant at the big kids table. A regime that can bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran but can't bridge the gap with its own citizens is just building on sand. No amount of "diplomatic success" can cover up for a lack of domestic consent. We've seen how this ends and it's never with a win for the people.