Then presidential candidate Donald Trump called on Iranian authorities to complete a nuclear deal. He cautioned that they must act “before there is no more to save,” as tensions between the U.S., Israel and Iran heat up. His remarks come in the wake of a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure. As a result of these strikes, Iran’s commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salam, was killed.
The latest airstrikes represented a major escalation in the long-running violence. Israel’s defense ministry publicly acknowledged that dozens of high-ranking IRGC officials were eliminated in these raids. Whatever the truth, Iranian state media claimed that the strikes had destroyed targeted facilities in Tehran. They further attacked Natanz, the location of an important enrichment plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility was not damaged by the attacks. They further claimed not to have detected a corresponding rise in radiation at Natanz.
Tensions quickly ramped up when Iranian officials declined to participate in the currently planned U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Oman. The negotiations, originally scheduled to start Sunday, are now arguably in greater peril. In response, Tehran blamed Washington for not acknowledging its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. The stubbornness not to come to the negotiation table is an example of long-held prejudices. These tensions have remained since Trump pulled the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the original nuclear deal, during his first term.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has been no less vocal about his desire to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He warned that things would only deteriorate without a deal. He has with little wiggle room admitted that a successful deal is necessary.
“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal,” – Donald Trump
The former president highlighted Israel’s military capabilities, stating, “the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.”
Washington was informed of the recent hostilities but did not participate in the airstrikes, maintaining its role as a close ally to Israel and a significant supplier of military equipment. Trump’s push to quickly finalize the nuclear negotiations only highlights how tenuous U.S.-Iran relations remain as both sides continue to engage militarily with one another.
As the corridors of diplomacy appear to be shutting down. The international community is watching closely to see if any side takes steps that would increase the chances of resuming talks or to increase violence. This is the danger of military action and diplomatic efforts being actively intertwined in Middle Eastern politics. On the flip side, the industry is deftly playing its own hand in a hostile space.