President Trump ignited a war against Iran on February 28, billing the U.S. campaign as an unprecedented step to transform the Middle East and terminate the threat from a “wicked, radical dictatorship.” Roughly 100 days later, as the United States and Iran reached a somewhat vague memorandum of understanding to end the war, skeptics express bafflement over what exactly has transformed.
Neither the war nor the agreement ended what U.S. and Israeli officials regard as the main threats emanating from Iran, including its nuclear program (heavily damaged but not eliminated, punted to future negotiation) and ballistic missiles, which the deal does not address. Iran’s authoritarian regime endured, albeit with new leaders, and its proxies remain a regional threat, with Israel and Hezbollah continuing attacks. Even the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening, identified as essential by Trump, seemed at risk as Iran’s military threatened closure due to U.S. failure to stop fighting in Lebanon, a claim the U.S. military contested. Caitlin Talmadge, an M.I.T. professor, suggests the U.S. agreed to the document because it “bit off more than it could chew” and seeks to avoid escalation, not from military superiority.
No comments:
Post a Comment