Midterm break

AMERICAN President Donald Trump’s statement that he will not launch a fresh attack on Iran before the US midterm elections does little to calm fears of renewed war in the Gulf. In effect, the US president has only promised to postpone the attack, when he should have committed to indefinitely suspending hostilities in favour of dialogue.

Clearly, it is a calculated political move: the Iran war is unpopular with the American people, mainly because of the inflation and high petroleum prices it has caused. Mr Trump may be holding off on a new assault to prevent a complete drubbing of the Republicans at the ballot box. What is perplexing is the mixed messaging. While refusing to rule out a post-midterms attack, he also said that the Iran war was going to end “very soon”.

Most observers have lost count of how many times he has said this. He added that talks with Tehran were “productive”. Should the world believe that a new attack is imminent after the US elections? Or is the US looking to wind things down? Perhaps those calling the shots in Washington themselves do not know. It is also a matter of concern that Israel is reportedly contemplating another attack on Iran.

Both the US and Israel need to halt their destructive misadventures in the Middle East. Their irresponsible warmongering has resulted in widespread bloodshed across the region and has upended the global economy. Washington and Tehran have exchanged proposals on how to end the conflict. Mr Trump and his cohorts, therefore, need to concentrate exclusively on the diplomatic track, instead of fuelling speculation regarding fresh hostilities.

Already, the Yemen conflict is spiralling out of control. If the US and Israel were to spark another round of violence with Iran, the consequences for the entire region — indeed the world at large — would be grim. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is already constrained. If Bab al-Mandeb were also to be closed, and the export of petrochemicals from the region curtailed further because of conflict, the entire world will pay the price for the deadly follies of Mr Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Therefore, instead of speaking in riddles, President Trump must commit his country to the peace process, offer the Iranians a fair deal, and bring his military home from the Middle East.