And even if Iran does fully open Hormuz – without conditioning passage on tolls or other payments – its ability to control the key geopolitical chokepoint is more clear now than ever.
In a statement after Trump’s ceasefire message, Iranian foreign minister Seyed Aragchi said that Iran would halt its “defensive operations” and allow safe passage through the Hormuz “via coordination with Iran’s armed forces”. He added that the US had accepted the “general framework” of the Iranian 10-point plan.
That plan includes the US withdrawing its military forces from the region, lifting economic sanctions on Iran, paying compensation for war damages and allowing Iran to maintain control over Hormuz. It is hard to imagine Trump actually agreeing to any of those conditions – a sign that the next two weeks of negotiations could be treacherous.
Such a partial pyrrhic victory.
Patient stamina is not one of tRump’s strong suits. He demands immediate gratification and if he doesn’t get it he throws a temper tantrum.
Guaranteed every world leader is now fully aware of this and will use it against America in every possible way.
Every world leader already knew this. 10 years ago. That’s why Iran never backed down to any of Trump‘s threats, and that’s why they kept sending out all of those hilarious Lego videos, taunting Trump. They knew they could outlast Trump in a conflict, because he’d end up embarrassing himself and losing interest. that’s when they could get everything they wanted.
And, guess what? That’s exactly what just happened.