Media: Is the U.S.-Iran standoff stuck in a no-war, no-peace deadlock?
The White House is reviewing Iran’s new proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained paralyzed since the outbreak of war, with Tehran claiming on Tuesday that the United States has lost its ability to issue orders to other nations.
A senior U.S. official said President Trump was dissatisfied with Iran’s latest proposal because it did not address Iran’s nuclear program. Last weekend, Trump decided against sending an envoy to Islamabad for a second round of talks with senior Iranian representatives. On Sunday, he told Fox News: “They know what the agreement should include […] They cannot possess nuclear weapons. Otherwise, there would be no reason to meet.”
Originally, Iran’s nuclear program was the most critical issue requiring negotiation between the U.S. and Iran. However, since the war was launched by the U.S. and Israel, the threat of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz—thereby choking global economic lifelines—has taken precedence, pushing the nuclear issue into the background.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s major conduits for crude oil and natural gas. After Iran shut it down, the global economy was immediately weakened. When the strait will reopen has thus become the paramount challenge in resolving the U.S.-Israel-Iran war initiated on February 28.
A temporary ceasefire has lasted over three weeks, yet the Strait remains blocked, with U.S.-Iran negotiations at a standstill. Iran’s military spokesperson declared on national radio: “We do not believe the war has ended.” Since the pause in hostilities, “our training has never stopped—we continuously analyze wartime experiences, constantly develop and upgrade our equipment. If the enemy dares launch another invasion, it will face new weapons and new tactics on a new battlefield.”
On Monday, Trump convened his top security advisers at the White House to discuss Iran’s new proposal. According to CNN citing informed sources, the likelihood of Washington accepting this proposal is very low.
Tehran has urged Washington to abandon its “illegal and unreasonable demands,” asserting that the U.S. “no longer has the right to issue orders to independent nations.” A report from the American website Axios—and subsequently cited by Iran’s official news agency—stated that Iran’s proposal focuses on reopening the strait and ending the war, while deferring negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
The Iranian parliament is drafting a bill to place the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian military control and impose transit fees priced in Iranian rials.
U.S. Secretary of State Rubio responded on Fox News: “We must never tolerate Iranians attempting to establish a system where they decide who may use international waterways and how much those users must pay.”
The Sivan Analysis Center in the U.S. believes that “Iranian leaders believe rising oil prices and imminent global shortages of petroleum derivatives are placing immense pressure on President Trump, potentially forcing him to accept a ‘unconditional surrender’ solution far removed from his original demands.”
“Meanwhile, on the American side, Trump and his team seem to bet that tightening the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports will compel the regime’s leadership to accept U.S. core demands—but many experts consider this approach mistaken,” the same source added.
The U.S. military announced on Tuesday that it intercepted a merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea suspected of violating the U.S. blockade. The military noted that since the blockade began on April 13, 39 ships have been rerouted to ensure compliance with the blockade.
The paralysis of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already severely impacted the global economy. Brent crude prices rose again above $110 per barrel on Tuesday. Faced with diplomatic deadlock, Qatar warned of the possibility of a “frozen conflict” in the Gulf region.
Meanwhile, Trump has been issuing confusing and even contradictory statements on his social media platform, Truth. On Tuesday, he wrote that Iran had signaled to Washington that it was nearing collapse and requested the lifting of the U.S. maritime blockade. He also added that due to the deaths of many Iranian officials during the U.S.-led air strikes that began on February 28, Tehran was struggling to determine its leadership structure.
Trump offered no explanation for how he obtained these details, and Iran did not respond immediately to his claims.
German Chancellor Merkel expressed disappointment over the current impasse. Speaking during a visit to a school in western Germany on Monday, she bluntly stated, “Americans clearly lack any strategy regarding Iran. The essence of such conflicts lies not only in getting involved but also in figuring out how to extricate oneself.” She added, “The past two decades of experience in Afghanistan were heartbreaking, and so too in Iraq. Thus, the entire situation is at least poorly thought through.” Merkel also believes Tehran is “humiliating” the world’s leading power—the United States.
On Tuesday, Trump attacked Merkel on his social media platform, Truth, saying she “doesn’t know what she’s talking about” when discussing Iran.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1863778582019145/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author