Iran, emboldened by the messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, is betting that its new hardline cabinet — including Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani — can force concessions in talks on Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Bagheri, a hardline senior diplomat, was named on Tuesday to replace Abbas Araqchi, a seasoned pragmatist diplomat and chief negotiator in the negotiations that Tehran hopes will lead to a lifting of U.S. sanctions.

“Kani is an extension of the hardline deep state that is now in charge across all institutions in Iran and can more readily negotiate with the West as he is not just representing the government but has the empowerment of the inner circle,” said Andreas Krieg, associate professor at the School of Security at King’s College in London.

“It (the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan) has given the regime in Tehran more confidence in their regional surrogate warfare approach while showing that the U.S. is on the backfoot in the region.”

Iran has alarmed Washington and its Gulf Arab allies by relying on proxies in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, to steadily spread its influence across the Middle East.

Bagheri, who was named deputy foreign minister for political affairs, had been a senior negotiator in the nuclear talks under former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2007 to 2013. He is a relative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Read More: Reuters

FREE COPY: Understanding the threat from Iran

Covering the threat from Iran to Israel and the West, plus the plight of the Iranian people: Read our Operation Mordecai campaign booklet online or receive a FREE copy by post.

Related Articles:

“Significant increase” in threat from Iran: New UK intelligence report confirms why Britain should ban the IRGC NOW

A new report has confirmed what CUFI has long been warning: the threat from Iran on the UK is not only real, but growing. The findings, detailed in a government-commissioned review,...

Labour’s actions have made the majority of British Jews feel less safe

Over the past year, CUFI UK has been calling out the bad practices of the UK government, particularly regarding Israel and antisemitism.Since Keir Starmer’s Labour took office in July...

“Blamed if they do, blamed if they don’t” – the return of an age-old antisemitic trope

A medieval antisemitic trope has re-emerged to weaponize the narrative, twisting Israel’s humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Even feeding the hungry is now grounds to vilify Israel — and history warns us...

Before lecturing Israel, Labour should get Britain’s house in order

A British government minister's recent remarks telling Israel to “get its house in order” are not only ill-judged, they are hypocritical and reveal a deeper problem within the Labour...

WATCH: CUFI Washington Summit Recap

The Lord's timing in orchestrating CUFI's 20th annual Washington Summit was perfect.The leadership of CUFI UK were pleased to join with Christians from across the United States in...