Aug. 2 at 10:41 PM
$WTI $KOS
The Trump administration is “hoping for the quickest and least costly way out of this dead end that they’ve driven themselves into”, Ereli told Al Jazeera.
A pattern has emerged in the way Trump has conducted himself throughout the war, the former ambassador said.
First, Trump convinces himself that if the US launches increasingly heavy strikes on Iran, it will force the Islamic Republic to make a deal.
Then, the leaders of several Gulf countries call him, urging him not to launch the strikes because they would suffer the consequences of Iranian retaliation, Ereli said. Trump then backs down and says the US will “give diplomacy another chance”, while maintaining that it stands ready to launch strikes if Iran refuses the deal.
As such, the situation remains the same, “with Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump declaring that we have a deal, then that deal falls apart and then the whole thing starts all over again,” Ereli concluded.
