President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the U.S.-Iran war. Tehran’s demands include U.S. war reparations, full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of frozen Iranian assets. Trump called the package “totally unacceptable.” The U.S. Navy began blockading Iranian ports on April 13. As of this week, the Navy has stopped 61 ships and struck 4 trying to breach the blockade. On May 8, U.S. forces struck two Iranian oil tankers. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy threatened a “heavy assault” on U.S. bases and ships in the region. Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping from May 13 to 15.
The Iran War: Any End In Sight?
President Donald Trump said emphatically “no” to the Iranians, and the world is wondering what the next steps will be in the Strait of Hormuz. Are there plans to continue strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure and military targets in Iran?
Or can Trump wait to decide on his diplomatic strategy until he visits with Chinese President Xi Jinping, May 13 to 15?
Iran had sent a package of requirements to the Americans to end the war, but Trump, ever the tough negotiator and stickler for details, said this proposal from Tehran was “totally unacceptable.”
Both Washington and the United States are stuck in a doom cycle of dueling peace proposals that neither side has deemed appropriate.
What Iran Wants
Tehran requires a significant amount of concessions from Washington, including “war reparations by the U.S., full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of seized Iranian assets.”
Navy Aircraft Carrier At Sea. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
War reparations are a ridiculous claim, and Trump will not accept that stipulation at all. Full control over the Strait is also a non-starter. There could be a reduction in sanctions and some of the confiscated funds released, but if this is the offer from Iran, it is indeed not acceptable to the Americans.
Trump accused the Iranian leadership of “playing games” and that Tehran will be “laughing no longer.” Iran responded that it would “never bow our heads before the enemy.”
What the United States Requires
Washington wants a complete end to Iran’s nuclear program and inspections at sites to make sure the Iranians are not enriching uranium in order to make weapons of mass destruction.
Trump would like diplomacy to have “every chance we possibly can before going back to hostilities,” the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, told ABC News.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, “issued new and decisive directives for the continuation of operations and the powerful confrontation with the enemies,” according to the Associated Press.
Navy Aircraft Carrier from Above. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Iran continues to harass Arab nations like the United Arab Emirates with drone attacks. The UAE shot down two one-way unmanned craft over the weekend.
Iranian Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said there will be “surprising options” if adversaries made another “miscalculation,” according to CNBC.
Meanwhile, Israel remains defiant. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing on 60 Minutes, claimed that the war is not over and there was “more work to be done.”
During this crisis, the U.S. Navy has blockaded Iranian ports beginning on April 13 and has stopped 61 ships and damaged four others.
On May 8, the Americans “struck two Iranian oil tankers it said, which were trying to breach the blockade. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy says any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels would be met with a ‘heavy assault’ on U.S. bases in the region and enemy ships,” the Associated Press reported.
My Five-Part Diplomatic Recommendations
What will happen next? First, both sides need to pause and go back to the drawing board with new proposals. This could take days, and the ceasefire might be broken, but it is a risk that the United States and Iran must take.
Second, Trump and Khamenei, including their underlings, should refrain from making inflammatory comments, especially on social media. This reminds me of two boxers before a fight, staring each other down and bragging about who will win. This is no way to conduct diplomacy.
Third, Trump should hold a news conference to explain the diplomatic strategy going forward so the American people and the media understand his objectives and how long gas prices are expected to remain elevated. The war with Iran has not been popular, and many Americans do not support it when polled.
A U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor aircraft assigned to the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron flies above the guided missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), not pictured, during an air defense exercise in the Philippine Sea Sept. 24, 2013. The Preble was part of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group and was underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paul Kelly/Released)
Fourth, both sides must stop using weapons against each other and fully honor the ceasefire. There can be no further exchange of fire. This risks sparking hostilities that could resume in another round of U.S. strikes.
Fifth, the Iranians must give up unrealistic treaty demands. The United States is not ever going to pay war reparations. That is a pipe dream, and this should be abandoned in the negotiations. Pakistan, the mediator, should inform the parties that this stipulation is not possible and should not be raised again.
Both sides are far apart, but if they can work through the diplomatic practices I noted above, there could be a chance of peace. As it stands now, the standoff will continue, gas prices will be high, financial markets will be roiled, and the bombing by the United States could start again.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
