Beyond Bluster |
The latest exchange of strikes between the United States and Iran has laid bare a familiar paradox of international politics: wars often continue because neither side can secure through force what only diplomacy can ultimately deliver. The collapse of the recent ceasefire understanding is therefore less a sign that negotiations are dead than an indication that both Washington and Tehran are attempting to improve their bargaining positions through calibrated military pressure.
President Donald Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire is “over”, accompanied by unusually harsh personal attacks on Iran’s leadership and threats of further strikes, undoubtedly marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric. Yet rhetoric should not be mistaken for strategy. Even while dismissing negotiations as futile, President Trump has acknowledged that contacts between the two sides continue. Such mixed messaging reflects a reality confronting both governments: military superiority does not automatically translate into political success. The renewed American strikes have focused on degrading Iran’s military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical maritime energy corridor.
Iran, in turn, has retaliated against American military facilities in the Gulf while reiterating that........