Iran war: moving closer to a deal?
The US and Iran are engaged in talks in Qatar aimed at resolving the complex conflict. Washington is sending mixed signals: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the two countries were close to an agreement, but the next day he warned he wouldn't be rushed into a deal. And despite the ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz, there have been mutual attacks on ships and land-based positions in recent days.
Rocking the boat instead of ensuring stability
According to the Irish Independent, the vagueness of the statements regarding progress in the peace negotiations is harmful:
“Beyond the Trump administration and the government of Israel, the rest of the world – reeling from the financial impact – regards the conflict as senseless. It has so far sucked in 13 countries to varying degrees. More than 6,000 people have been killed, and it has provoked the biggest disruption to global energy supplies in history. As a superpower, the US is expected to demonstrate it can be consistent and resolute in its objectives. ... Continually rocking the boat in a sea of international uncertainty can serve neither American nor European interests in the long run.”
A strategy of chaos – or Israel?
Naftemporiki also laments the lack of consistency in US foreign policy:
“It remains unclear whether Trump's 'strategy' and his chaotic diplomacy are part of a deliberate plan to increase the pressure or whether this is yet another instance of America's Middle East policy being influenced more by the interests of Israel and its lobby in the US than by coherent diplomatic planning. In any case, the international community is left with the impression that a superpower is sending out contradictory signals and thus causing even greater instability in an already volatile region.”
Tehran unstoppable on path to nuclear weapons
Jutarnji list argues that coming to terms with Iran as a potential nuclear power is the best option:
“The negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme suggest that, as in the case of North Korea, the US and other powers won't be able to stop Tehran on its path to procuring nuclear weapons. ... The Islamic Republic has survived and, like Kim, it believes it has no alternative but to develop such weapons, which constitute the only protection against future American-Israeli attacks and guarantee the regime's survival. ... Instead of focusing on solving an unsolvable problem, it would be better to concentrate efforts on a strategy for dealing with a nuclear Iran and on seeking models for regional coexistence. This is the reality that is taking shape here, and we need to prepare for it.”