“The life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”“Man’s perpetual and restless desire for power after power, that ceaseth only in death.” — Thomas Hobbes

The Islamabad MoU is almost dead. The unpredictably fast-changing mind of President Donald Trump and the audacious defiance of Iran in refusing to follow his desire for unchallenged control of the Strait of Hormuz have, as put by China, pushed the Middle East to a dangerous precipice. The war has resumed with greater ferocity, with the USA blockading Iranian seaports, Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, targeting American military bases in the Gulf States and beyond, and disrupting maritime traffic.

Benjamin Netanyahu is watching all this from a distance with a devilish smile. His relentless pursuit of his spoiler’s game, scaring Donald Trump with claims of an Iranian plot to murder him and the IRGC’s intention not to relinquish its stranglehold on the Strait while extracting huge charges from cargo ships, has apparently convinced President Trump to resume the war. Iran was shouting loud and clear, warning foreign troops to keep away from the Strait. These forces were none other than American naval troops, which were gradually filling the vacuum created by the withdrawal of the IRGC from Gulf waters. This irked the Iranians and made them more incredulous of the USA’s dubious intentions.

President Trump blew hot and cold over the opening of the Strait, blaming the Iranians for the breach of the Islamabad MoU. The outside world was puzzled by his incoherent and meaningless statements. In a moment of impatience and........

© The Nation