THE latest statement of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is an indication of realization that there was no military solution and the warring sides will have to sit across the table to find a solution to the crisis. He said on Sunday that the war with the United States had no military solution, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict appeared stalled and the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz remained the main obstacle. He added that neither confrontation nor solution based on economic sanctions will work and only negotiations based on justice and fairness could end the conflict.
His remarks come as the deadlock persisted despite reports that the United States and Iran broadly agree on the core trust-building steps in the latest draft proposal, with the exact order of implementation – or sequencing – remaining the primary sticking point. Insiders say both sides want to return to an enhanced version of earlier understandings but disagreements centre on which country takes the first step or how fast specific measures roll out. Deciding whether maritime security measures, asset movements or sanctions-related steps happen first or concurrently has delayed a final sign-off. Deeper disagreements regarding long-term nuclear programme timelines and regional conditions continue to complicate the broader diplomatic process. In fact, Islamabad Accord provided a solid foundation for furtherance of the peace process but changing positions of the two sides, mainly because of domestic politics, hinder fresh breakthrough. Iran’s regional perspective on war is also one of the major hurdles in finding a solution as it continues to target Gulf countries in response to US attacks on its territory and it is also firmly behind Houthis who have launched an intensive war against Saudi Arabia. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei’s statement explains the situation as he warned that any future use of regional countries’ territory to attack Iran will provoke a “different response”. Peace prospects will remain dim until Tehran undergoes a transformation of its policy of penalizing regional countries directly or through Houthis for sins of the United States and Israel.
