Two wounded leaders and a hostage
Two wounded leaders and a hostage newspress_en Sun, 11/08/2026 - 04:39 Opinion In November 1979, Iranian students stormed the American embassy in Tehran and held its diplomats hostage for more than a year. The crisis became a heavy political burden for then-US President Jimmy Carter and helped Ronald Reagan defeat him in the 1980 election. Forty-seven years later, in a congressional election…
In November 1979, Iranian students seized the American embassy in Tehran and held diplomats hostage for over a year. This crisis severely damaged then-President Jimmy Carter's political standing, aiding Ronald Reagan's victory in the 1980 election. Now, in the 2026 US midterm elections, another American president confronts a hostage situation - not of diplomats, but of oil tankers, merchant vessels, and a strategic strait crucial to energy supplies to the United States and the world.
While the Ayatollah Khomeini faced Jimmy Carter decades ago, President Mojtaba Khamenei now stands before Donald Trump. The roles of leader and president have shifted, but the tactic of hostage diplomacy remains a tool in Iran's arsenal. Over eight months, Tehran has held the Strait of Hormuz hostage, while itself remains trapped by a naval blockade.
Khamenei has mirrored the strategy of Iran's founding leader, deliberately postponing the reopening of the strait to inflict economic pressure on Trump, hoping it would hurt his party's electoral prospects. This strategy has backfired, with both Trump and his vice president JD Vance admitting the war with Iran has contributed to the Republicans' devastating defeat.
Khamenei now faces a US president seeking an achievement to salvage his legacy, which could lead to either an agreement or an escalation. While Trump's Republican Party's loss may weaken his ability to act abroad, he still commands the military. Democrats can limit funding, question officials, and obstruct his legislative agenda.
However, foreign policy remains an area where an American president has the most freedom to maneuver. With Washington closing political avenues, Trump may seek opportunities elsewhere. This behavior is not unprecedented in American history; presidents who wage wars often seek foreign victories to offset domestic setbacks. Trump enters this phase burdened by a war that failed to deliver the promised victory and held captive by his image as the man capable of achieving what his predecessors couldn't.
The Israeli factor, which played a role in the Lebanese hostage crisis, has resurfaced with the war against Iran, Israel's nuclear program, and Netanyahu's failure to secure an electoral win. Tehran is contemplating whether Trump's weakened position will grant it more time or push him towards risking Iran's interests further. Trump, on the other hand, perceives continued delay as extending the humiliation that led to his defeat, while Netanyahu views his loss as the beginning of more humiliations.
The question remains: when does holding a hostage become a burden? Weakening an adversary inclined to take risks does not guarantee they will yield; it may even provoke them to escalate the conflict if they believe retreat would confirm their weakness. Neither Iran nor the United States can assume that inflicting losses on the other will avoid the costs of blockade and war.
Time is taking a toll on both the president and the Supreme Leader. Despite the changing names of the hostages, the game of waiting remains the same.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
