Iran’s internal power struggle could decide when Trump’s war ends

More than four decades ago, after months of setbacks in the war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, thousands of young Iranian troops launched a surprise offensive that turned the tide. But rather than consolidate victory, the then-supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, wanted more: To topple the Iraqi dictator, who was drawing increasing support from Washington, and demonstrate to future enemies that war with Iran will exact a heavy cost. The Iraq conflict was a pivotal moment in shaping the modern Iranian state. Khomeini’s decision turned it into a six-year war of attrition that killed hundreds of thousands, one of the bloodiest conflicts in the region’s modern history. And now, years on, the question of whether to press on or cut a deal is once again facing Iran. The revolutionaries who led the offensive dominate the seats of power in Tehran.