One possibility is direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Trump has indicated he believes his hard line will prompt Iran to seek a “bigger deal” with Washington, telling a press briefing at this month’s NATO summit that Tehran “at some point will call me and ask for a deal, and we‘ll make a deal.“ However, Trump needs to understand that his current strategy forecloses opportunities for diplomatic compromise because, as Rouhani’s “mother of all wars” statement shows, Iran’s leaders are unlikely to accept the humiliation – and the blow to national pride – of a complete surrender to Trump‘s threats and pressure.

Another option is that the JCPOA continues without the United States.