According to Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, President Donald Trump seems to be depending on the US blockade of Iran’s ports to compel Tehran to comply with his demands.
“President Trump appears to think that the US blockade against Iran is effective and will subdue Iran soon, if not within weeks, allowing him to compel Iran to accept his conditions,” Vaez informed Xenix News‘ Rosemary Church.
However, he warned that Trump’s use of economic or military pressure on Tehran has “made Iran’s stance more difficult rather than easier.”
Vaez commented on the encounter between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting that Moscow can assist Iran “in either scenario: a return to conflict or an agreement.”
Vaez stated that Russia has already supplied Iran with intelligence and various assistance during the conflict. Should the US and Iran reach a deal, Russia, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, might assist Iran in achieving its objectives.
Vaez stated that if Iran intends to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, it might require a resolution from the security council to do so.
Russia has proposed to hold or reprocess Iran’s enriched uranium, but the US has so far dismissed this offer, Vaez noted.
In the end, both the US and Iran must yield some demands, or they could exacerbate economic instability and food scarcity, which Vaez described as “a catastrophe for all.”
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