Will Walldorf, a professor at the department of politics and international affairs at Wake Forest University, said Iran’s strikes against U.S. outposts in the region are meant to signal its seriousness in not accepting terms at the negotiating table it views as inconsistent with its interests.
“After rejecting the most recent peace terms put forward by Oman, its attacks on Jordan and Egypt are meant to send this signal,” Walldorf, who is also a senior fellow at the think tank Defense Priorities, told The Hill on Thursday.
Walldorf said the first step for Washington to get out of the “quagmire” would be to admit that intensifying kinetic force won’t work. He said Trump will have to drop his demand of Tehran never having a nuclear weapon and strike a deal to allow for the freest possible flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
“He’ll then need to soften on his expectations over Iran’s nuclear program, and allow Iran to at least enrich to some kind of low levels—ending enrichment altogether is an unrealistic U.S. demand at this point,” he said.
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