End of war “close” again – this is how Trump has swung
One day a deal was said to be close. The next the bombs fell in the Middle East again. Now Donald Trump claims, once again, that the war is over.
Here are the latest developments – in a diplomatic stalemate where the war between the US and Iran quickly escalated.
Wasn’t it close just now too?
On Tuesday, Donald Trump claimed – as he has several times before – that a deal with Iran was very close. On Wednesday, he accused the Iranians of stalling and announced that they would “pay” for it.
The US launched new attacks on many parts of Iran, citing the shooting down of an American helicopter in the region on Monday. Iran responded by attacking US military targets in the Middle East.
“We were very close to a deal, but they continue to try to mislead us. They take us for fools,” said President Trump.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth calls it “negotiation with bombs.” From the Iranian side, it was stated that they would not listen to threats and were ready to fight back, which they have done.
Wasn’t it a ceasefire?
Even when the countries agreed on a ceasefire on April 8, it was clear that they did not agree on the terms. Iran believed that Lebanon was also included, but the United States and especially Israel did not.
The Israeli government, which is pushing for continued confrontation with Iran and its ally Hezbollah, escalated its ground invasion of Lebanon step by step.
Donald Trump is reported to have scolded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call because of this.
Last weekend, Israel attacked the Lebanese capital Beirut again. Iran intervened and attacked Israel, Israel attacked Iran, and a 24-hour spiral of violence was stopped after diplomatic pressure.
When the US then resumed attacks on Iran, it is said to have tried to assure the mediating countries that it did not mean a return to full-scale war.
What are they supposed to agree on?
The US's stated war goals have been adjusted continuously. Where there was initially talk of regime change, zero tolerance for nuclear energy and the destruction of Iran's military capability, Donald Trump has begun to formulate the goal that "Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon".
The negotiations have been about limitations on the nuclear energy program and the dilution of highly enriched uranium. In return, Iran will be exempt from extensive sanctions, but they have also demanded that Israel's warfare in Lebanon end.
The question is how the terms differ from the major nuclear energy agreement from 2015, which Trump was sharply critical of and tore up.
Media in the US are reporting that the war is starting to be a clear public opinion sink for the president ahead of the mid-term elections in the autumn.
In Iran, the power apparatus largely exists, with a documented ability to suppress popular uprisings with deadly force and to block a large part of the world's oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
FACTS
JCPOA agreement
In 2015, the nuclear energy agreement JCPOA was signed between Iran and the "P5+1" – the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (France, China, Great Britain, Russia and the USA) plus Germany.
Iran would only be allowed to enrich a certain amount of uranium to a relatively low purity, far from that required for nuclear weapons, but sufficient for civilian purposes. The outside world would also be given greater transparency. In exchange, sanctions would be lifted, with the goal of all being lifted after ten years, in October 2025.
In 2018, US President Donald Trump decided to leave the agreement and impose stricter sanctions. Iran responded by stepping up its enrichment and stockpiles of uranium.
In recent years of escalation and war, the United States has previously demanded that Iran stop enriching uranium altogether. Iran has countered that all countries that have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar