Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State of the United States, announced on Tuesday that there is no need for another attack on Iran, as diplomatic efforts to end the war have increased. These remarks came as Tehran has asked Washington to accept its demands for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened.
Diplomatic Efforts and Economic Pressure
Hours after Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced that there are positive signs towards resolving the eight-month war, Rubio stated that the economic pressure on Iran is such that there is no longer a need for major military operations. He added: "The economic campaign against Iran is so devastating that there is currently no need for large military operations."
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By blocking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the main energy export routes of the Gulf, Iran has significantly increased oil prices. This has become one of the key factors in the heavy defeat of the Republicans in last week's midterm elections. Washington has also recently imposed new sanctions on Iranian ports and launched a campaign called "economic strangulation."
Diplomatic Development and Iran's Proposals
Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, called for more efforts to end the conflict and warned of the economic damages caused by the current deadlock. He said: "We must move beyond the deadlock of 'neither war nor peace' which brings deep suffering to our countries."
Iran has stated that its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days, if Washington agrees to specific conditions, is still on the table. These conditions include ending the war on all fronts, releasing Iranian assets, lifting oil sanctions, and ending the blockade of Iranian ports.
Ali Bigdeli, an Iranian political analyst, believes that the outcome of the U.S. elections has relatively reduced Iran's flexibility, while the American side has moved towards greater flexibility. He also noted that the conflict between the two countries has reached a level of distrust and uncertainty that has made the situation very difficult.
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