Those hoping for a quick resolution of the US and Iran conflict, and a peace agreement between the two countries will be a bit disappointed with the developments of the last 24 hours. In fresh escalation in the war, the American forces struck Iran for the second time in a week on Wednesday, May 27. Just like the strikes earlier in the week, the US claimed that the strike was done in self defence after they observed some aggressive activity from the other side.
With the peace talks progressing slowly as it is in Qatar between the two, these strikes have thrown another roadblock in the peace process. In these latest strikes, US forces shot down four Iranian drones and attacked a base from where a fifth drone was about to be launched. The US officials claimed that the Iranian drones posed threat to the Strait of Hormuz.
Notably, Strait of Hormuz’s reopening and its future control is at the centre of the peace negotiations between the two countries. The strait has been closed since early March after Iran blocked it in retaliation over the US-Israel strikes on Iran at the end of February.
The closure of this critical maritime trade route has affected countries around the world due to the disruption of the oil trade. Crude oil pr4ices have spiked in the last 3 months and will continue to increase if a solution isn’t found quickly. However, now it looks like the strait will remain closed in the near future after increase in tensions in the region again.
While US is claiming that these strikes were defensive operations, Iran is going to see this as an act of aggression and a violation of the ceasefire which has been in place since early April.
At the same time, Israel has dramatically intensified operations in South Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes reportedly hit areas near Tyre, Nabatieh and parts of the Bekaa Valley, with officials claiming the operations are aimed at weakening Hezbollah infrastructure and preventing cross-border attacks.
However, the renewed bombardment has raised fears that the already fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire could completely collapse. Lebanese authorities and humanitarian agencies warn that civilian casualties and displacement are increasing once again. Israel argues that Hezbollah continues to use southern Lebanon for military operations, while Hezbollah and its allies accuse Israel of exploiting the regional chaos surrounding Iran to expand military pressure inside Lebanon.
These developments have increased the worries for the rest of the world as they seek an end to this war so that the world can get out of the ongoing energy crisis.
