Trump has changed his mind about attacking Iran. What the media is writing
US President Donald Trump has refused to follow through on his threat to resume strikes on Iran. He said that he did this at the request of the Gulf countries, which hope for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. At the same time, the head of the White House hinted that he was not completely abandoning plans to resume hostilities. How the media reacts to a new round of escalation in the Middle East is in the Izvestia digest.
Bloomberg: Trump said he was refraining from new strikes on Iran.
Trump announced that he had canceled a planned strike on Iran on May 19 after an appeal from the leaders of the Persian Gulf countries, who demanded more time to find a diplomatic solution. This happened a few hours after the US president voiced threats to resume hostilities against Tehran. Trump admitted that he postponed the decision not to strike "for a short time."
Bloomberg
"Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and some other countries have asked me to postpone this for two or three days, for a short period of time, because they believe they are very close to concluding a deal," Trump added. "If we can achieve this so that nuclear weapons do not fall into the hands of Iran, I think, and if they are satisfied, then we will probably be satisfied."
Trump's statements were further evidence of the predicament he found himself in due to the war, in which Tehran took a tough stance in the absence of real threats of renewed attacks from the United States. However, the escalation will lead to a further increase in oil prices, which the White House still does not want to allow. Iran has made it clear that the US demands remain unacceptable. He refuses to give in on some of the key positions and insists on the return of frozen assets and payment of compensation for the war.
Associated Press: Trump's tough foreign policy faces obstacles from Iran
Trump has always considered himself primarily an effective negotiator, but it seems that he has hit an obstacle in relations with Iran, as his harsh statements, threats and even military actions have not forced Tehran to abandon its long-established positions. With ever-changing goals making it difficult to assess U.S. efforts, Trump and his closest aides insisted that Washington had already won the war and that Iran was ready to reach an agreement in light of escalating U.S. threats.
Associated Press
However, Trump once again backed down, saying [on May 18] that he had suspended plans for an early resumption of attacks at the request of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, because "serious negotiations are currently underway, and in their opinion, as great leaders and allies, a deal will be reached that will be completely acceptable to the United States of America, and also for all countries of the Middle East and beyond."
Although Trump said he had canceled the planned strikes, he continued to show his bravado, claiming that he had instructed military leaders to "be ready for a full-scale offensive against Iran at any moment if an acceptable agreement is not reached." Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran, and then retreated from them. Despite growing internal tensions, a crippled economy, and the deaths of many leaders, there is no evidence that Iran is ready to comply with Trump's demands, many of which it has long rejected.
The New York Times: how can Iran react to the resumption of strikes
The fate of the shaky truce between Iran and the United States remains uncertain: Trump first threatened to resume the war, and a day later announced the suspension of planned attacks due to "serious negotiations." However, the Iranians are preparing for a possible resumption of strikes and have made it clear that they will not hesitate to cause serious damage to their neighbors and the global economy in the event of an attack.
The New York Times
Attacks on oil fields, refineries, and ports in the Persian Gulf are one of the most effective ways for Iran to damage the global economy and put pressure on Trump. If the damage is significant enough, it could further drag countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia into a war that many Gulf leaders have sought to avoid.
Iran may also try to establish control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, through which a tenth of world trade passes. This waterway is located near the territory controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthis. The Houthi militia has vowed to defend Iran in the event of a regional war, but it has acted cautiously in the latest round of fighting. Analysts explain this by calculating how much of their dwindling military reserves the group can afford to use.
Reuters: how the confrontation between the United States and Iran threatens a new conflict
Three months after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, the US blockade and Tehran's control over the Strait of Hormuz have created a stalemate in which neither side is yielding, economic difficulties are worsening, and the risk of renewed war is increasing. There is growing concern among politicians not about whether a deal is close to being concluded, but about how long tensions may persist before a miscalculation by Washington or Tehran provokes a new conflict.
Reuters
"We are fighting a war of attrition, and every day the likelihood of a new American-Israeli attack increases," said one of the regional officials. Iranian officials have said that concessions regarding their missile program, nuclear capabilities, or control of the strait are not political tools, but ideological pillars of the Islamic Republic's survival — giving them up is not a compromise, but a capitulation.
Iran claims that Tehran has already won — not as a result of Washington's military defeat, but as a result of its refusal to comply. Several weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes have failed to break Iran's will, reinforcing its belief that its nuclear arsenal and control of the Strait of Hormuz remain the foundation of its deterrence. However, Tehran does not want a protracted "no war, no peace" scenario where inflation, unemployment are rising, and strikes in key industries are damaging an already battered economy.
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