The tension between the world’s super power United States and Iran, a nuclear state, are intensifying by the day. Iran recently downed a US drone on claims that it had crossed the red line, prompting President Donald Trump to order a military retaliation but which he claimed to have later rescinded on realising the possibility of immense collateral damage.
The incident followed the US approving the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East, part of a series of punitive and pre-emptive measures the Trump administration has taken against Iran.
Washington accuses Tehran of taking advantage of the 2015 relaxation of sanctions to resume its nuclear enrichment programme, hence its decision to impose a whole new regime of sanctions against the Middle East state.
Tehran denies the US accusations and President Hassan Rouhani has asserted that Iran is “too great to be intimidated by anyone”.
Though European Union power Russia and China have voiced their reservations against Washington’s grandstanding on the issue, the latter feels that the rest of the parties to the 2015 deal were not doing enough to restrain the Americans.
Consequently, Tehran issued a June 27 ultimatum for exceeding its uranium stockpile limits set under the deal. Iran feels threatened, hence the resolve to sharpen its military edge … just in case.
China specifically warned the US against opening a “Pandora’s box” in the Middle East after it deployed its military in the region. How one wishes the US could be true to its global big brother stature, even in the face of a provocation!
The consequences of a military clash between the US and Iran would be too grave to contemplate. The parties to global peace should return to the negotiation table for an amicable solution.
