Daily Times

When would the impasse between the US and Iran end, only God knows. Every new day brings a new story in the chapter of the US-Iran standoff. Occasionally, an accusation on Iran from President Donald Trump emerges; sometimes, it is about the US getting out of the nuclear deal, sometimes, it is adeclaration of sanctions on Iran. Now the matter has reached on the brink of war, and a series of threats between the US and Iran has resumed. Iran shoots down a US drone. The US threatens to attack and to impose more sanctions on Iran. The US president has, again, adopted a severe stance against Iran, with a threat of harsh sanctions.

In response, Mahmoud Alavi, Iran’s Minister of Intelligence said: “Holding talks with the US can be reviewed by Iran only If Trump lifts the sanctions, and our supreme leader gives permission to hold such talks.

Trump claims that he had aborted a military strike last monthto counter Iran’s downing of an unmanned US drone over the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, as it could have killed 150 people. He gestured that he was open to talks with Tehran.

It’s been three years since Trump became the president of the US, and he seems incapable of dealing with the Middle East policy. His lack of a saner approach in dealing with Iran has plummeted the region into uncertainty. Since Trump came to power, he has engaged in mudslinging towards Iran. The Barack Obama administration, on the other hand, was astute enough to read the trends of the time. Obama initiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action(JCPOA), and subdued Iranian rage.

Iran is a vital element of the US Middle East policy, as without Iran no one can bring about reforms or peace in the Middle East. Trump, from the very beginning of his presidential term, has dealt with Iran with rage. Dealing with any country with a contemptuous conduct, particularly when it is a regional power, is a negation of a sane course of diplomacy. Iran is the second-largest country in the Middle East, and has access to abundant hydrocarbon resources. Terming it poisonous for the region, and now threatening Iran to bring it to naught is surely an insane approach.

Iran is a vital element of the US Middle East policy, as without Iran no one can bring about reforms or peace in the Middle East

Iran has remained prey to the US ferocity repeatedly, and now Iran seems accustomed to that behaviour. Torpedoing the nuclear deal, imposition of sanctions on Iran, and a series of threats by the US have proved futile to bring Iran to US terms. During the tenure of Obama, Iran remained a victim of sanctions, but Obama sought a better alternative to deal with Iran, and the JCPOA came into effect. Following that, there appeared a likelihood of prevailing peace in the region. However, the decisions of Trump concerning Iran have terminated the prospects of any improvement in the region.

Iran doesn’t enjoy friendly links with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is an ally of the US. Having animosity towards a regional power, KSA, and the US, which is a global power, Iran has refused to concede to US demands. Despite the pressure for many years, Iran seems to be withstanding the situation. The strategy of Trump is shortsighted; despite having the option of diplomacy, he is dealing with Iran with threats and force. Trump should glance at the past when he exchanged threats with Kim Jong-un but that didn’t bear fruit. Ultimately, he had to adopt a dialogue process to do business with the North Korean leader. That is the attitude Trump needs in dealing with Iran.

Being the president of the world’s solesuperpower, Trump must be aware of the significance of Iran. With access to the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf, and sharing a border with energy-rich countries, geographically, Iran is an important country in the region. Strategically, Iran has great significance. In Yemen, Iran has opted to support the Houthi rebels who are fighting against the US ally Saudi Arabia-led coalition. In Syria, Iran supports Bashar al-Assad’s government, the opposite camp of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Similarly, in Lebanon, Iran has engaged Hezbollah for itssupport, which bears the blame of fighting against the US ally Israel.

With that influence and importance, it would be a huge folly to disregard Iran. Are economic sanctions, threats and seeking Iran’s isolation going to force Iran to function differently? No, not at all. If these tactics were a cure, Iran would have obliged the US many years ago. Imposing sanctions, threats and dismantling the economy of Iran, these techniques are redundant. But, perhaps Trump and his team wish to refute the importance of a diplomatic engagement. Trump is probably unaware that if tampering with Iran continues on the same trajectory, it is going to become a headache for the US itself. Because of being heavily involved in Iraq and Syria, Iran is capable of wreaking devastation in Israel, the biggest ally of the US.

A big chunk of US industries and power generation houses rely on the oil from the Middle East. Destabilisation or war in Iran would bring about major repercussions in the region. Pakistan would also be a victim of that war. The peace process in Afghanistan is pending, and war in Iran would halt that too.

The only panacea to sort out the Iran issue is that Trump adoptsa course of diplomacy; every effort the US has made so far has turned out to be unworkable. To settle disputes and differences the ideal option is a dialogue, not threats. Betterment of the region lies in a dialogue. If Trump introduces elasticity in the matter of Iran, he will achieve the aspired results. Otherwise, he should be ready to face calamitous consequences.

The writer is an electrical engineer who is also a CSS aspirant