AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The American newspaper The Washington Post, in an analysis today, Monday, addressed the problems that Donald Trump faces after warmongering against Iran in announcing an agreement with this country.
The Washington Post stated in an article today that Donald Trump's warmongering against Iran in February of this year caused the loss of his leverage.
The newspaper wrote that Donald Trump's efforts to reach an agreement with Iran have faced major opposition within the United States, as the U.S. President's own party members accuse him of conceding too many concessions to Tehran.
According to the newspaper's analysis, these oppositions indicate the major challenges that Donald Trump will face on the path to transforming a fragile ceasefire into a lasting agreement.
The media outlet, recalling that Iran has proven during the war that it can shock the world's energy markets, wrote that Trump likely has less leverage compared to the negotiations held with Iran in February, before the war.
The concessions that the White House offered in advance to bring Iran back to the negotiating table have become one of the main axes of attack by Trump's critics.
Aaron David Miller, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations who has advised both Republican and Democratic administrations on Middle East policy, told The Washington Post, "There is not much room left for him to maneuver and strike Iran."
America's Deterrence Against Iran Has Been Weakened
He added that pressure on Iran "practically means resuming the war or reinstating the naval blockade, but these have consequences" – including consequences that Trump himself has said he is eager to avoid.
Miller said, "We have severely weakened our deterrence against Iran."
The Washington Post wrote that the level of risk for Trump and the Republican Party is high. The inflation exacerbated by the conflict has placed great pressure on many of Trump's supporters and has pushed him toward trying to bring the economy back under control by the time of the midterm elections in November.
A Fox News poll released last week showed that 58 percent of voters believe the United States made the wrong decision in its decision to take military action against Iran in February. Seventy-five percent of Republicans considered it the right choice, and 35 percent of voters approved of Trump's handling of Iran.
Iran's repeated announcements of closing the Strait of Hormuz indicate the challenges facing the Trump administration's diplomatic efforts. Before February 28, Iran's leverage over this narrow shipping chokepoint was theoretical and had never been tested.
The Washington Post wrote that Iran has now shown that it can halt traffic through a route through which 20 percent of the world's oil and natural gas supply passes.
Trump said last week that his concern about global energy prices and declining oil reserves was the main factor behind his decision to seek a peace agreement at that time.
The newspaper wrote that Trump and Vance have faced growing criticism from some of the same people who initially welcomed the attacks, especially when both men escalated their tone against Israel last week and criticized it for not complying with the agreement's provisions.
In another part of this analysis, the American newspaper writes that the inclusion of a ceasefire in Lebanon in this agreement will likely continue tensions in U.S.-Israel relations, because it places Washington in a position where, on the issue of attacks on Lebanon, it sides with Iran rather than Israel.
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