The fragile peace deal between the United States and Iran is failing. On Monday, President Trump declared from the Oval Office that the ceasefire is on “massive life support” with only a 1 percent chance of survival.
United States President Donald Trump speaks to the press in Washington, DC. [Getty]
Iran had submitted a peace plan to the US government on Sunday, promising to stop the war if the US agreed to its demands. Trump did not like the plan. He rejected it, calling it “totally unacceptable” and “a piece of garbage.”
The greatest issue of contention in the peace efforts is the Strait of Hormuz. It’s a channel for the movement of 20 % of the world’s oil and gas shipments. Right now, both Iran and the US are blocking it.
Iran has made it impossible for ships to pass through, asking individual nations to seek permission from the Iranian government before moving through the channel. Non-compliant ships have been shot at and captured.
To curtail Iran’s blockade of the Straight, the US sent in the Navy. The U.S. Navy now stops all ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports. This was meant to put economic pressure on Iran and force its leaders to surrender.
Iran wants the USA to stop the blockade. They want both the USA and Israel to promise never to attack them again. On top of that, they want money as compensation for the damage the country has incurred since the war started. Trump has rejected all those demands.
According to Trump, Iran still poses a nuclear threat, and its “leaders are dishonorable people.” He claims that they have walked back on an earlier promise to let the U.S. take away their enriched uranium.
Iran has denied ever making such promises. The Iranian news agency Tasnim said none of their peace plans said anything about surrendering their nuclear capabilities. Trump has vowed not to let them ever have a nuclear weapon.
On his part, Israeli Prime Minister believes there can be no peace until Iran’s nuclear sites are fully destroyed. Speaking on the 60 Minutes show, he said he wants Iran’s nuclear energy facilities torn down.
Even during the ‘dying ceasefire,’ Israel continued pursuing Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran is a backer of Hezbollah, and so they took these attacks personally. In their latest demands, they also want Israel to stop attacking Hezbollah.
The war began on February 28, and many people worried that it would trigger the Third World War. The April ceasefire quenched this rhetoric and brought a bit of hope. But now, it seems that the end is far from sight.
Trump says that he is still committed to his original objectives, and if the war starts again, “it will be over quickly.” On the other hand, Iran’s leaders say they are ready to do “whatever is necessary” to protect their country.
For now, it’s about who will be bold enough to compromise fast. The US has a list of requirements for Iran, and Iran has their own long list. Neither side is currently ready to give in.
If this peace deal is indeed yanked from its “life support”, drones, gunfire, and explosions will rock the Gulf again, making hubs like Dubai less desirable for travel and commerce.
