Crescent International
Stephen Collinson of CNN mocked Donald Trump by writing that he “blinked again by extending the ceasefire with Iran.”
For several days leading to the April 21 ceasefire deadline, Trump had warned there’d be “no more Mr. Nice Guy” if the Islamic Republic didn’t capitulate.
He threatened to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure, bridges and roads if Tehran did not surrender to his demands communicated via the Pakistanis.
The threat to destroy civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime.
His demands included the transfer of all enriched uranium out of Iran, preferrably into the hands of the Americans, zero enrichment on its soil, limits on its ballistic missile capabilities and range, and abandonment of its allies in the Axis of Resistance.
Iran rejected these demands, refusing to hand over their enriched uranium to anybody.
Tehran has repeatedly stressed that it is prepared to dilute the enriched uranium in its possession and use it as nuclear fuel or for medical purposes.
Further, it will not abandon its right to enrich uranium.
This is guaranteed under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).
Trump’s optimistic statements that Iran had agreed to all his demands and that he was sending vice president J D Vance to Islamabad, presumably to accept Iran’s terms of surrender, turned out to be so much hot air.
The Pakistanis, especially Trump’s favourite field marshal Asim Munir, have been to-ing and fro-ing to try and secure a deal.
Islamabad was all spruced up with Serena and Marriott Hotels emptied out of patron to receive the “very important delegates”.
Hundreds of American security personnel had already swarmed Islamabad and taken over all security arrangements.
So much for Pakistan’s sovereignty.
The Iranians made clear that they were not going to hold any talks unless the blockade of their ports and ships was lifted.
The longer the blockade lasts, the greater the crisis of global energy supplies.
Ultimately, Trump had to make a grand retreat on April 21 evening.
He tried to justify it by writing on his Truth Social platform that the Pakistanis, especially Munir and Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif had urged him to extend the ceasefire to give “negotiations a chance”.
Besides, Trump claimed that there were ‘divisions’ among the Iranians and they could not decide on what to negotiate.
Unlike the Americans, there have been no statements from the Iranians that contradict each other.
Their position has been crystal clear.
They have stated very clearly what they want.
If there is any confusion, it exists in Trump’s mind.
“The president’s spin cannot obscure the most important takeaway from Tuesday [April 21]: His strategy of using threats of overwhelming US military force to coerce Iran into surrendering at talks has now failed multiple times. Inside Iran, therefore, it must appear that Trump’s threats of military escalation lack credibility,’ wrote Collinson of CNN.
“It doesn’t matter what the president will say or the vice president or the secretary of war will say. It has zero influence on the Iranian calculus,” Danny Citrinowicz, former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence, told Jim Sciutto on CNN International.
“From the Iranians’ standpoint, they have the upper hand. And if the US wants to escalate, it will escalate. And if (the US wants) an agreement, they have to accept the 10 points that they sent them through the Pakistanis,” Citrinowicz said, referring to a previous Iranian proposal that included many demands rejected by the US.
Trump’s climbdown, couched in self-serving language, only exposed his empty bravado, especially on a day when Iran refused to show up to talks in Islamabad.
Three days earlier, Trump had claimed Vance was on his way to Islamabad.
Yet, later the same day, he arrived in his motorcade at the White House belying Trump’s claim.
The following day, Trump said Vance will be in Islamabad on Tuesday.
With the Iranians making clear that they are not interested in meaningless negotiations, it left Vance cooling his heels at home.
And to make sure they were not intimidated by Trump’s threats, the Iranians said if attacked, they will obliterate the oil, energy and desalination plants in Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
Within a week, not only the entire region will turn into a desert, but the world economy will also go into a recession.
Perhaps, there are some adults among Trump’s advisors, especially in the military who were able to convince him that his policy of escalatory confrontation will only end in disaster.
It would be best to seek de-escalation by not threatening the Iranians who never give in to threats.
By controlling shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Republic has Trump by the throat. Oil prices and, therefore, prices of foo...
