War Not an Option for US-Iran

The intention and desire of the United States and Iran to communicate opens up good hope for the world, especially for the Middle East region.

At least the desire to continue communication, for the time being, can temper the grand ambitions of the US and Israel to attack Iran. On the other hand, although no agreement has been reached, this is a positive sign.

Why is that so? In 2021, before the talks in Oman were held, the European Union had mediated negotiations between the United States and Iran regarding the continuation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which had been stalled since 2018.

The series of negotiations was held, among other places, in Vienna, Austria. Unfortunately, the negotiations came to a halt. There was a growing atmosphere of distrust. At that time, the U.S. was not convinced that Iran was fulfilling its obligations under the JCPOA. It was suspected that, since the action plan "collapsed," Iran's uranium enrichment levels had increased significantly.

As is known, the JCPOA, signed in 2015 by Iran, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, and Germany, agreed on restrictions to Iran's nuclear enrichment. In return, the United States and Western countries lifted economic sanctions imposed on Tehran.

However, as mentioned, in 2018, during the first term of his administration, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the JCPOA. He considered the agreement to be poor, overly favorable to Iran, and not providing much benefit to the United States.

Since that time, the United States has reimposed strict sanctions on Iran. Conversely, Tehran has responded by ramping up its nuclear program activities. Coupled with the factor of Israel—Iran's arch-enemy—this situation has inevitably reignited instability in the region.

During President Joe Biden's era, the U.S. sought to revive the JCPOA, but both the U.S. and Iran remained steadfast in their respective positions. The JCPOA stalled once again.

Now in his second term, Trump has again implemented a tough policy on Iran. He wants Tehran to stop their nuclear program, otherwise Iran will be attacked. Tehran certainly rejects the pressure. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized that he does not want to give up Iran's nuclear program, which is one of Tehran's "treasure cards".

Once again, both sides have stopped at the same point. The difference is, this time both sides are willing to communicate and that is good. However, the diplomatic path is still worth pursuing. No matter how difficult or tough the negotiation situation is, for the world, war is not an option.

Although Iran is not the same as it was in 2018—especially after its proxy forces in Palestine and Lebanon declined under Israeli pressure—Washington should not underestimate Tehran. A prolonged war would only harm the world.