For now, the US attempt to browbeat Iran into submission has not produced the desired results. Iran is ably standing its ground despite major hits from the combined, lethal forces of the US and Israel, and is giving Uncle Sam and Tel Aviv some tense moments. President Donald Trump keeps blowing hot and cold, but seems to be in a mood for a pause. While White House threatens to “unleash hell” on Iran, Trump is proposing talks; and he appears to be more eager to end the military engagement as nearly a month has passed after the offensive began. What was thought to be a quick fix has turned out to be a long drawn war.
Trump aimed to dismantle the rule by the Revolutionary Guards and impose a puppet regime there. Obviously, Iran’s oil wealth and the petro-dollar it commands was an attraction as in the case of Venezuela. With the war prolonging, Americans are becoming impatient, and so are the media there. Strangely, Iran is setting conditions for talks; and not Donald Trump. Reports are also that Israel is worried the US might opt for a ceasefire. The disquiet in the American camp is palpable, and so is its attempt to find a way out through talks rather than prolonging the war. Iran has its strong points. It has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, halting movement of ships through the principal global trade route. Global oil and LPG supplies are hugely hit though, by Thursday, Teheran has announced relaxations for five friendly nations, namely Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Iraq. India heaves a sigh of relief and so too the other four nations. Ships linked to America and its allies can wait. Iran’s strength is also its well-organised ground forces of the military. Hence, Trump is delaying action on the ground as things could go terribly wrong. Americans have superior firepower from the air, but the same cannot be said about its military’s operational capability, be it in the Iranian soil or elsewhere. After a long war, Americans cut and ran from Vietnam. Vladimir Putin is facing a similar predicament in Ukraine, where he started a war four years ago. Once American soldiers step in, there would be casualties on both sides. If body bags reach back to America from Iran, the public mood would turn against Trump.
Admittedly, the Islamists or the Revolutionary Guards have played mayhem with the lives of people after the exit of the popular Shah of Iran from power. Iran’s nuclear programmes are a matter of serious concern to the world. All the same, the crude manner in which the American President is going about challenging the territorial integrity of nations near and far cannot be the acceptable way forward. For power to perform in the right direction, checks and balances are important. The whimsical manner in which Trump began acting during his second term in office is unlikely to do any good to Americans. A level-headed governance is a better option than a head of state acting like a bull in a China shop.
