It's truly awkward! Just as Trump unilaterally postponed the timing for attacking Iranian power plants by five days, he claimed, "I'm pleased to report that over the past two days, the United States and Iran have engaged in very positive and productive talks regarding a comprehensive and thorough resolution to our adversarial relationship in the Middle East." Yet Iran immediately doused Washington with cold water! On March 23, Iran issued its latest statement, asserting there are absolutely no negotiations underway between Tehran and Washington.
Iran's senior security officials also emphasized that there is currently no dialogue with the U.S., and no negotiation will take place. Trump insists talks are happening; Iran firmly denies it. So who is telling the truth? From an observer’s standpoint, it's highly likely that Trump's so-called negotiations are self-orchestrated. The facts are clear: if the U.S. attacks Iran's power infrastructure, Iran would undoubtedly escalate its retaliatory measures, and the U.S. simply couldn't contain the surge in oil prices.
This would inevitably trigger widespread economic repercussions across both the U.S. and the global economy. Therefore, Trump may well be creating an exit ramp for himself. From Iran's perspective, Tehran has zero trust in Washington. Iran has every reason to suspect the U.S. is scheming again—gaining breathing room for a sudden move or preparing for future plans. Moreover, in reality, since the U.S. now wants to talk but Iran refuses, Iran can leverage this stance to secure better bargaining power. Regardless, the U.S. is now truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860462888812555/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.