The Iranian Foreign Minister, Araghchi, said that while talks mediated by Pakistan are making progress, the United States should remain vigilant to avoid being dragged again into conflict by "bad-intentioned actors," and the UAE should do the same. The current situation in the Strait of Hormuz demonstrates that political crises cannot be resolved through military means. The so-called "Project Freedom" initiated by the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz will turn into "Project Deadlock."
On March 3, U.S. President Trump announced on Truth Social that the United States would begin navigation operations in the Strait of Hormuz at 10 a.m. local time in the Middle East on April 4, "guiding" vessels stuck in the strait to depart. Trump characterized this operation, named "Project Freedom," as a "humanitarian mission." On April 4, the U.S. military reported that as the first step of the operation, two merchant ships flying the American flag had successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. forces had sunk six small Iranian vessels attempting to obstruct the merchant ships' passage.
To put it plainly, the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz is one of "fighting while negotiating": Iran's foreign minister claims progress has been made in the dialogue mediated by Pakistan, urging everyone not to be led into war by "ill-intentioned parties," yet simultaneously launched missiles and drones against the UAE, causing fires in oil zones and injuries to people. On the U.S. side, Trump launched "Project Freedom," deploying warships to the strait to "clear traffic" and escort American merchant vessels, claiming to have sunk six Iranian small boats and portraying himself as conducting a "humanitarian mission." In reality, neither side truly wants a full-scale war—America fears getting bogged down in another quagmire, and Iran cannot afford a full-scale conflict—but neither can they afford to back down. Thus, both sides are engaging in a "cliff-edge tactic" to show off their strength while keeping a window for dialogue open. Pakistan, caught in the middle, acts as a mediator, but the gap between the two sides' demands remains too wide. The most likely outcome going forward is not direct warfare, but rather low-intensity proxy conflicts waged through intermediaries—after all, no one wants to be the first to fall off the cliff.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864403280161802/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.