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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about renovation work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and coal industry promotion policy at the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. on the 4th (local time). / EPA-Yonhap

An expert has assessed that Iran is shifting its confrontation with the United States from military conflict to "political warfare."

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit think tank, said on Fox News' "America Reports" on the 4th (local time) that the Iranian regime is pursuing a new strategy in its confrontation with the U.S.

Taleblu said, "Iran knows full well it cannot win a head-on fight against the U.S. through conventional military strength," adding, "Right now, it's waging a battle of wills against the Trump administration, not just on the battlefield but on the diplomatic stage as well."

The "battle of wills" here refers to a strategy of shifting from military conflict to political warfare, pressuring the U.S. through negotiation, diplomacy, and psychological tactics — a contest over which side can outlast and force the other to back down.

Taleblu noted, "Iran has shown, over the past 47 years, a regime that gambles by pushing things to the very limit," assessing that "unfortunately, the current situation is very unfavorable for the U.S."

He also said, "No U.S. president has dealt a bigger blow to the Iranian regime than Donald Trump," but pointed out that the current U.S. administration appears to have stepped back somewhat from its initial hardline threats.

As evidence, he cited a Tehran municipal newspaper's report describing Trump's threats as having weakened and calling the U.S. a "paper tiger."

He added, "Because of this, despite President Trump's achievements, America's leverage to control its adversary is in a difficult position."

He suggested that the fact even a media outlet favorable to the Iranian regime chose to use such language — despite having no particular need to — signals a spreading perception within Iran that U.S. deterrence has weakened, and that America's threats have genuinely lost their bite.

Meanwhile, his remarks came as Qatar said that day that mediators' negotiations to end the conflict are making progress.

Iran has officially denied Trump's claim that negotiations are already underway. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters on the 3rd, "There are currently no negotiations underway with the U.S., and no meetings are scheduled," adding, "Iran is only discussing the issue of a safe shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman."

                                                                                                          Park Jin-sook