Foreign Media: Iran Pressures US to Constrain Israel, or Else No Talks or Re-Blockade Strait
According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, after Israel continued launching large-scale air strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran informed mediation intermediary Pakistan that a ceasefire in Lebanon must be achieved before Iran would participate in the U.S.-Iran talks scheduled in Islamabad. Iran also warned it might revoke its decision to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Micro-commentary
1. Iran is making a "ceasefire in Lebanon" a prerequisite for entering negotiations. This indicates Iran will not accept Israel's unilateral attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, directly linking the Lebanese front to U.S.-Iran talks to force the U.S. to constrain Israel. By using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage, Iran pressures the U.S. into compromise under oil price pressure.
2. Putting the U.S. in a dilemma. If the U.S. pressures Israel to stop fighting, it risks alienating Netanyahu and undermines America’s core alliance base in the Middle East; if it does nothing, Iran may walk away from talks and restart blocking the strait, leading to a sharp rise in oil prices and intense domestic pressure in the U.S.
3. Regional situations are now fully interconnected. The U.S.-Iran conflict, the Israel-Hezbollah confrontation, and the security of the Strait of Hormuz have been integrated by Iran into an indivisible negotiation package. Any single thread breaking could cause the entire ceasefire framework to collapse.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1861918640885760/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.