US President Donald Trump backed away from his threat to bomb Iranian energy facilities on Monday. He claimed “productive” talks were taking place with Iran. Tehran downplayed the matter, stating that Washington’s messages had been received.
Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary in this geopolitical drama, along with Egypt and Turkey. The prime minister tweeted that Pakistan would be honored to host the parleys, subject to concurrence by the US and Iran.
Trump’s decision not to bomb Iranian power plants may have been influenced by the realization that the war is unwinnable. Reports suggest Mossad had painted a rosy picture of the Iranian people welcoming their liberators with flowers once their clerical leadership was decapitated. Nothing of the sort has occurred, and more rational minds may be advising Trump to cut his losses and exit this doomed campaign.
For any potential talks to succeed, there should be an immediate ceasefire. Israel’s bombardment of Iran continued even after the announcement of talks. Tehran has good reason to be suspicious; it has been attacked twice during negotiations with the US. Many believe Trump may be buying time to move in more troops.
Pakistan and other regional states are putting in commendable efforts to extinguish the fires of war. But until Washington and Tel Aviv commit to respecting the sovereignty of regional states, such efforts may not succeed. The dreams of regime change and the creation of ‘Greater Israel’ must be consigned to the dustbin, and a new regional order based on respect for the sovereignty and security of all states can be forged to bring lasting peace to the Gulf and the wider Middle East.