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Foreign Affairs Expert Robinder Sachdev said that the demand for a powerful visual "win" is at the heart of the current US-Iran standoff, suggesting that Washington's position is being shaped as much by optics as by strategy. He said US President Donald Trump is seeking a symbolic moment that can be projected globally as a decisive achievement.
In an interview with ANI, Sachdev said, "The prize that President Trump now wants is a photograph of drums of Iranian enriched uranium on the tarmac of the Tehran airport and an American military plane sitting there, these drums being loaded and taken away. That is the prize that Donald Trump wants now. He can then claim, 'I have taken out the uranium from Iran." He added that such imagery would create "a very visual representation of the surrender of a country," something Iran, according to him, is unlikely to accept, leaving negotiations at an impasse. On the economic front, he noted that the US waiver on sanctioned Russian oil could provide immediate relief to India amid ongoing supply disruptions. "This waiver on sanctions on Russian oil will definitely help India in the sense that there is quite some Russian oil at sea, short distance away, and hopefully, the market dynamics are such that we can get it at good rates. Especially given the current crisis, even if production ramps up, you know, in the Gulf, it will take months and months for the supplies to be resumed. So, therefore, Russian oil being available almost instant in that sense, will be extremely helpful to the Indian economy in terms of crude oil," he said, pointing out that restoring Gulf production could take "months and months". Assessing the prospects of fresh talks, Sachdev maintained cautious optimism. "If the participants do turn up physically, whosoever be the participants, especially the American participants, the higher the better. If they turn up then definitely yes, the probability increases. I still remain at my probability which I had earlier speculated at 51 per cent. There is definitely a chance of a deal," he said, while cautioning that any agreement may not be a "grand bargain" and could leave the region facing continued instability. On tensions involving the Strait of Hormuz, he stressed that reopening the route would be central to any resolution. " The Strait of Hormuz has to be open. Now, the question is whether Iran would be okay with it. Yeah, sure, but Iran will ask a price," he said, indicating that negotiations could revolve around sanctions relief, frozen funds and financial compensation. He added, "The only question would be that would there be any tolls? I think maybe tolls may not be tolls, but at the same time then financial compensation for Iran, money sitting in Qatar, money in in the United States, lifting of sanctions. So, I think there'll be a there'll be a triangle of these economic issues: sanctions, money sitting outside, and tolls. So, within this triangle, Iran will negotiate to you know, obtain financial compensations for the war." Commenting on transatlantic ties, Sachdev said Trump's sharp criticism of NATO reflects deeper structural tensions with Europe. " The US is unhappy with NATO for many reasons, several of them very clear and valid which Trump and his administration have articulated. But a more fundamental reason that President Trump and his team are unhappy with NATO is because they're unhappy with Europe. They're unhappy with the with the policies of Europe. Not only defense policies, they're unhappy with the policies on environment with Europe. They're unhappy with the extra regulations, " he said. He added that ideological difference also plays a role, noting that sections within the US leadership view Europe as overly focused on "human rights and kindness," alongside concerns that European countries have not contributed equally to defence spending. (ANI)
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