Trump, Iran Ceasefire: A Fragile Truce with More Losers Than Winners
The volatile standoff between the U.S. and Iran continues, despite a temporary ceasefire. This editorial explores the complexities and challenges of achieving lasting peace in the Middle East.
Trump, Iran and the ceasefire: A devastating war has only losers
The Middle East's best hope may be that the U.S. president continues to rebadge strategic defeat as success. Both the U.S. and Iran claimed victory on Wednesday morning, but both were lying. The two-week ceasefire announced by Donald Trump the night before is not the triumph that he declared. It may not be an end to the war, as welcome as the pause is, or even last the fortnight.
Trump said that Iran has gone through regime change. It has not. If anything, less experienced, less readable but more hardline figures are now in charge. He said that the strait of Hormuz would be open; Iran said that ships would pass through with permission, and at a price.
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By Wednesday evening, Iranian state media said that the strait was closed after Israel unleashed a brutal assault on Lebanon: about 100 strikes in 10 minutes. Iran had insisted that Lebanon was part of the deal, while Trump disagreed. This conflict has killed thousands in the region, including children, and left many more exhausted, terrified and traumatized, while the aggressors have openly boasted of their intent to commit war crimes.
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The Middle East's best hope may be that the U.S. president continues to rebadge strategic defeat as success. His administration's attempt to engineer a
Kaynak: The Guardian
