As the US-Iran war entered its 19th day on Wednesday, there were no indications from Iran or the Israel-US side of de-escalation. The conflict's strain on the Strait of Hormuz has created one of the biggest oil disruptions in history.
Limited access to the Strait has begun to bite Washington DC as well, with US President Donald Trump reaching out to ally nations for help. However, much to his disappointment, ally states such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries have refused to step in.
James M. Dorsey, a Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, believes that the Republican President has gotten America into a bind.
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"Trump has created a situation where he cannot credibly exit the war, to credibly exit, he essentially has to expand it and that is not something he necessarily wants to do," he said during an interview with NDTV Profit on Wednesday.
Trump's call for help comes as the Iranian side gained a stronghold by controlling access to the Strait of Hormuz, according to Dorsey, who added that US needs to occupy Iranian territory to try and rest Iran's control over the Strait.
"To escort ships through the gulf he needs resources, resources he would have to draw away from the actual war being conducted... which is why he is asking help from US allies," Dorsey explained.
At the same time, he also pointed out that US allies were not consulted on this war and therefore they see no reason to help Trump get out of this bind.
"The problem is they were not consulted on this war, they were opposed to this war, and they see no reason to help trump get out of this bind," he highlighted.
The international relations expert also explained why the war is unlikely to end even if America pulls out and said that, at this juncture neither Iran nor Israel sees any reason to end the war.
"Even if US was to step back from the war, Iran and Israel could suck it back in very easily. If Iran takes complete control on Hormuz access, it would be difficult for Trump to declare victory," Dorsey underlined. He added that the same situation will arise if Iran continues to strike other Gulf states.
Therefore, the focal point of this conflict really is Strait of Hormuz and who controls it, Dorsey remarked.
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