While Social media is buzzing with opinions on inconsequential ‘body language’, analysing broader Iran -US deadlock can be difficult but very interesting . Overall, a diplomatic breakthrough remains distant while the chances of wide spread regional conflict are increasing by the day. Many commentators are of the view that Iran is playing a hardball. The popular assessments point out Iran‘s ungratefulness towards mediators and miscalculations towards combined US-Israel potential. Many analysts also find Iran’s tough, aggressive and uncompromising stance risky/ flawed. Elsewhere, Iran’s posture is being pinned at religiously motivated guidance of clergy and extremist mindset of IRGC. Perhaps most of these assessments are somewhat off the mark. Iranian political- military leadership is playing a calculated game while leveraging their national resilience, invisible support from dominant global actors and decisive military performance. As on battlefield, in diplomacy too one can only manoeuvre when there is space available. For Iran, failures of opponents and their own achievements (according their reckoning) do provide them essential space. How accurate is this Iranian assessment will only be proven with time, however, as of today Iranian leadership assumes they have sufficient space particularly until 4th of November and hence, their quest for gaining position of strength for a deal on own terms. On the other side, US having tried most of the military options available alongside unprecedented diplomatic and economic coercion also continues to seek position of strength. As often, the pursuit of such position of strength post a military conflict proves ruthless and unending. Caught in the middle, international community is facing the negative fallouts of recklessness of both sides. Is space for further manoeuvring available to Iranian leadership, what could be their assessment of an end to this pursuit is a million dollar question. In my opinion, few geo-political outcomes of February 2026 conflict have strengthened Iranian assessment of space for manoeuvre. Few important of ones are:- First, they precisely understand that illegal and blatant military aggression against Iran seriously damaged Trump, politically and at the same time has led to Israel’s isolation internationally. While Trump is feeling the heat in run up to 4th of November in terms of huge loss of political capital, Israel in medium to long-term will have to face serious geopolitical ramifications. The victim narrative which Israel propagated so successfully for decades is no more popular in the world. Iran can clearly see a window till 4th of November because of US- Israel’s inability to initiate another cycle of violence through military application. Second, regionally Iran has demonstrated its superior military capabilities, alone as well as through the combined capacity with its allies. Iranian leadership fully understands neither US nor any of the Middle Eastern states( including their allies) can go full hog against their multi directional drone / missile targeting. They are confident of perpetuating influence of strait of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandeb on global economy. Moreover, being confident of enforcing response dilemma as well as inadequacy on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, UAE and Qatar ; Iran believes it enjoys freedom of action in the region ( an assumption that will only worsen existing fault lines in the region) . 1/2