The United States and Iran are back to bombing each other in a bid to control the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping corridor in the Persian Gulf. The conflict has demonstrated the limits of President Donald Trump’s reliance on escalating airstrikes to bend Tehran to his will.
US Strategy
The Trump administration says it is open to diplomacy, but Iran has so far refused to loosen its grip over the strait. The renewed escalations reflect a fundamental misreading of the Iranian psyche and a lack of learning from previous fighting, according to Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is still open to negotiating, telling reporters that Iran continues to send signals that they want to talk, but their behavior is what the US is responding to. The US has been launching airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure, but experts say this strategy has its limitations.
Diplomatic Efforts
A diplomatic solution could also prove elusive due to a lack of trust between the US and Iran. The Trump administration has shown no preference for actual diplomacy, relying instead on close advisers with little international relations experience. The US has tried multiple times to negotiate with Iran, but so far, no agreement has been reached.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
