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Former Indian diplomat Anil Trigunayat has said that the joint military action by the United States and Israel against Iran may have strengthened Tehran's resolve to pursue nuclear weapons rather than discourage its nuclear ambitions, arguing that the conflict has exposed shortcomings in Washington's strategy.
Speaking to ANI on the US-Iran conflict, Trigunayat said the initial military offensive was launched without a clearly defined strategy for ending the war, while Iran's preparedness for confrontation over several decades prevented it from backing down under military pressure. I think that this has been a very interesting war, as we have seen from the very beginning. In the first place, the Americans came and attacked along with Israelis without a real strategy. And strategy, as you know, is always how to exit from war, which was not there, Trigunayat said. He questioned Washington's approach towards Iran's nuclear programme, pointing out that military action could potentially encourage Tehran to seek nuclear weapons as a means of deterring future attacks. That shows not the sincerity whether you want really a nuclear-free Iran, or you want to make Iran become more emboldened in getting nuclear weapons by attacking, he said. Drawing a comparison with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trigunayat said the war had raised broader questions about the role of nuclear weapons in deterring military aggression. He further observed that the Strait of Hormuz had emerged as a major strategic pressure point during the confrontation, with the conflict shifting towards economic blockades after developments on the battlefield. What happened in return is that Hormuz became the priority, which was always open, but which got closed and you blockaded it because you could not continue on the battlefield, so you started the economic blockade, he said. Trigunayat also said the conflict had strengthened the Iranian regime's position domestically, while the economic consequences had increasingly affected Gulf countries, prompting them to reassess their dependence on the United States for regional security. Discussing Iran's conditions for negotiations, he said Tehran was seeking an end to hostilities, reparations, the release of frozen funds, removal of sanctions and the lifting of blockades. He added that although both Washington and Tehran had maintained tough public positions, diplomatic discussions appeared to be continuing through regional intermediaries. Meanwhile, Iran's Basij Organisation chief Hossein Taeb has reiterated that Tehran would determine the format and agenda of negotiations only after its seven conditions were fulfilled. According to Iran's IRNA news agency, Taeb said the deadlines proposed by Washington would not influence Iran's position. Amid renewed diplomatic efforts, US Vice President JD Vance is also reportedly exploring the possibility of direct negotiations with senior Iranian security officials, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trigunayat said a negotiated settlement would ultimately require both sides to consider reasonable conditions and recognise each other's sovereign interests. (ANI)
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