Con Coughlin has published an article in The Telegraph entitled “Iran’s hardline regime is crumbling, as it pays the price for defying Donald Trump”.

In his article, Editor Coughlin pointed out to the initiative that was launched last week by Lebanese businessman Sheikh Bahaa Hariri, which constitutes a “reform program” called Sawa to rebuild Lebanon after decades of Hezbollah misrule.

Coughlin said “Bahaa Hariri believes Iran’s economic collapse provides both Lebanon and the wider world with a great opportunity to end Tehran’s meddling in the region.”

“Far from reviving the fortunes of Iran’s Islamic regime, Mr Raisi’s installation as the country’s eighth president since the 1979 revolution should be seen as nothing more than a last-ditch attempt by hardline supporters of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to maintain their grip on power,” the article said.

The article’s author also mentioned that “in a country where any hint of anti-government sentiment is brutally repressed, the ability of Iranians to express their democratic preferences was always going to be circumspect.”

“Even so, the extraordinary lengths to which Mr Khamenei and his supporters went to secure the election of his favoured candidate are indicative of a regime in crisis, desperate to cling to power by any means possible.”