A human rights activist has warned that Iran's regime views continued confrontation with the United States as preferable to peace, using external conflict to distract from and suppress growing internal unrest. Dr Majid Sadeghpour, political director of the Organization of Iranian-American Communities, told Fox News Digital that Tehran's leadership is less troubled by American military strikes than by the risk of a domestic uprising, arguing that the regime's survival now depends on maintaining friction with outside powers to keep its disillusioned population distracted.

Sadeghpour noted that Iran continued attacking ships and US bases in Jordan and Bahrain even after receiving American assurances against pursuing regime change, which he said demonstrates the leadership's priorities. His comments follow renewed US airstrikes on Iran and continuing tension in the Strait of Hormuz, where Vice President JD Vance said Iran keeps targeting commercial vessels despite agreeing not to, though he suggested Iran's control of the strait is "a diminishing asset". President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said he was indifferent to reaching a deal with Tehran and publicly urged the Iranian people to "rise up", reflecting Washington's apparent shift towards encouraging internal regime change rather than negotiation.