As the war between Iran, and the US and Israel continues to escalate, President Trump has now hit pause on the threat to obliterate Iran’s power plants. He gave a five-day pause period after claiming that talks with Tehran had led to progress. However, Iran has denied that any such discussion has taken place.
The move comes as US-Israel airstrikes on Iran enter their fourth week. Oil prices have surged over 50%, topping $110 a barrel. Petrol at US pumps near $4 a gallon and more than $5 for diesel.
Trump warned Saturday that he would “destroy” Iran’s energy infrastructure if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. It should be noted here that the Strait handles 2-% of the global oil flows. Despite Trump’s disclaimer, Iran shot back, threatening to hit Gulf destination plants and power grids.
View this post on Instagram
However, after the UN warned that water attacks could be considered as potential war crimes, Tehran softened a little. That did not, however, change their stance and goal as the Iranian Government told the state media, “The lying… US president has claimed that the Revolutionary Guards intends to attack the water desalination plants and cause hardship to the people of the countries in the region.”
The statement further added, “We are determined to respond to any threat at the same level as it creates in terms of deterrence… If you hit electricity, we hit electricity.”
Trump’s comments on the whole situation appear in a polar opposite direction than how Iran is presenting it. The President insists “very good and productive discussion” led to his decision to pause the US strikes for five days. He even claimed that there were “15 points” of agreement that included demands to halt Iran’s nuclear enrichment and scrap uranium stockpiles.
It is important to note here that Iran had previously rejected those terms. Reports suggest US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner contacted Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He, on the other hand, called it a US ploy to “escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”
As the war situation gets further tense, Pakistan might appear as the mediator. However, Pakistan and Iran do not share a great history as there had been missile exchanges two years back and a Saudi defence pack last year.
View this post on Instagram
Trump’s involvement in the war has appeared to be a decision that came without a long-term plan of dealing with the implications of the conflict. Previously, the President had given multiple accounts regarding his plans with Iran once the war was over.
His attack on Venezuela, which led to the capture of the country’s President Nicolas Maduro, might have given Trump the confidence to attack Iran, thinking the situation would be in America’s favor.
However, the situation has turned out to be quite different now. With Iran clearly having an upper hand and Trump talking about communications that Iran is downright refusing to have taken place, it would be interesting to see how the involved countries deal with the situation and how that affects the global economy.
