ON the eve of its second round of talks with Iran in Geneva, the United States has leaked information aimed at intimidating and bullying Tehran to squeeze maximum on nuclear and other issues.
According to Reuters, the US military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, a feeler that raises stakes for diplomacy between the two countries.
Statements emanating from Tehran and reports of international media speak of flexibility in Iranian stand as it has indicated its willingness to halt Uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting of sanctions but the United States and Israel want more. President Trump has threatened strikes against Iran if a deal to curb its nuclear programme cannot be reached, with the US building up its military presence in the region and Washington apparently is demonstrating its military muscle in the neighbourhood to pressure Iran on the negotiable table and strike seriously in case talks break down. This is evident from the fact that the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them. Trump, speaking on Friday after a military event at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, openly floated the possibility of changing the government in Iran, saying it “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” These remarks clearly showed that the United States is not content on the offer of Iran to halt Uranium enrichment and wants to secure a wider deal or cause the so-called regime change as part of its strategy to mitigate security threats for the Jewish state. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that any US-Iran deal must include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, not just a halt to enrichment. It is also intriguing that the United States has, so far, said nothing about the possibility of lifting sanctions against Iran. The attitude of the United States and Israel is pushing the region towards a war, which could complicate the geo-strategic scenario and therefore, Washington must demonstrate flexibility during talks.
