Elusive peace agreement

“IS there finally a deal to end the Iran war? Not even close. As the world awaited Washington’s approval of a framework that Tehran reportedly agreed upon to de-escalate tensions, US President Donald Trump cautioned negotiators “not to rush into a deal” with Iran — a deal that could potentially lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a comprehensive peace plan. Hours after Iranian negotiators arrived in Qatar for discussions aimed at ending the war, American forces struck Iran’s southern port of Bandar Abbas, claiming they were acting in self-defence. This latest escalation by the US has coincided with intensified attacks by Israel on Lebanon. The close link between these two conflicts complicates negotiators’ efforts to reach a peace deal. It appears that Trump is acting under pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some of his closest Republican allies in the Senate and beyond. Meanwhile, Trump posted a provocative image on his Truth Social platform, showing a map of the Middle East with Iran overlaid by the American flag and the phrase “United States of the Middle East?” He has further demanded that Arab and other Muslim nations join the Abraham Accords. This raises questions about whether the world, particularly Iran, can trust him, given his unpredictable behaviour. Trump’s ever-shifting stance has clouded the prospects of a peace deal in the near future. Pakistan’s mediation efforts , supported by regional countries, seemed to have brought Tehran and Washington closer to a peace deal that could have led to extensive negotiations between the two sides. According to reports, the proposed 14-point MoU, following weeks of intensive diplomatic talks, envisions an extension of the ceasefire, the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to all maritime traffic and the removal of the US blockade of Iranian ports. Trump’s ever-shifting stance has clouded the prospects of a peace deal in the near future. That was to be followed by negotiations on other issues, including the relocation of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and a commitment from Tehran to allow the IAEA to monitor all aspects of the country’s remaining nuclear infrastructure. It calls for the unfreezing of Iranian foreign assets and the removal of all sanctions imposed on Iran, along with the termination of the UN mechanism that permits sanctions to be reimposed. Trump’s initial response was positive, and it appeared that an agreement could be reached last weekend. However, his reportedly unpleasant telephone call with the Israeli PM effectively stalled the potential agreement. Netanyahu has been opposed to ending the war, asserting that the objective has not yet been achieved. Unsurprisingly, some of the most conservative Republican senators, who have supported Trump’s stance on Iran, including prominent pro-Israel politicians Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, expressed strong reservations about proposing peace negotiations with Iran. Senator Graham, a close ally of Trump and a supporter of Israel, had warned on social media that reaching a peace deal now would reinforce the perception of Iran as the dominant force “requiring a diplomatic solution”, which he labelled “a nightmare for Israel”. He questioned “why the war was started” if these perceptions were correct. On Saturday, Trump spoke on the phone with several leaders representing the Arab and other Muslim countries, urging them to join the Abraham Accords that are aimed at normalising ties between Arab/Muslim states and Israel. He later posted on social media that “it should be mandatory that all of these countries, at a minimum, simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords”. His list included Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, among others. On Sunday, a day before Trump’s post went up, Senator Graham stated on social media, “If, in fact, as a result of these negotiations to end the Iranian conflict, our Arab and Muslim allies in the region agree to join the Abraham Accords, it would make this agreement one of the most consequential in the history of the Middle East.” Nothing could be more preposterous than negotiating a peace deal with Iran that involves Muslim countries recognising Israel’s hegemony at a time when the Zionist state is carrying out a genocidal war in Gaza and has committed, together with the US, war crimes in Iran. The Abraham Accords were initiated by Trump during his first term in office. The intent was to create a grand alliance between Israel and Arab Muslim countries, effectively legitimising the expansionist aims of the Zionist state. In 2020, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan signed the Accords. However, most other Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, refused to do so until a separate Palestinian state could be established. Trump’s recent statements are unlikely to be well received by his allies in the Middle East, many of whom have been directly affected by US-Israel actions against Iran. His decision to link the Iran peace deal with the signing of the Accords has raised doubts about his intentions. It appears that Trump is now trapped in a situation of his own making by engaging in a conflict with a country that posed no direct threat to the US — all under pressure from Israel. As one of the most unpopular presidents in recent US history, he faces criticism from both sides of the political spectrum — his pro-war conservative allies and rival Democrats — who are questioning the rationale behind entering the war without an exit plan. This war has not only led to the worst energy crisis in recent history, raising the spectre of a global economic recession, but has also impacted the American public through rising inflation. The latest US escalation has perhaps effectively ended the month-long fragile ceasefire and raised the possibility of a wider conflict, making the prospect of a peace deal increasingly elusive. Trump is once again mistaken in believing that escalating strikes will compel Iran to capitulate and yield what he terms a ‘Great Deal’. He is becoming further entangled in a no-win war, and American hubris may plunge the world deeper into chaos. It is now becoming increasingly difficult for the US to extricate itself from its disastrous military adventure. The world is less safe now with a rogue leader at the helm of the greatest power on earth. The writer is an author and journalist. zhussain100@yahoo.com X: @hidhussain Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026

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