Nearly a month into the war in West Asia between US-Israel alliance and Iran, idea of peace talks between US and Iran is being floated. The two sides are looking to discuss terms of these peace talks through mediators. However, looking at the demands from the two sides ahead of any such talks, looks like they will be a nonstarter and an exercise in futility if they don’t scale down their demands.
US President Donald Trump reportedly sent a 15-point plan to Iran through Pakistan which included demands such as prohibition on Iran enriching Uranium, severe restrictions on Iran’s missile program and related military infrastructure, and opening of Strait of Hormuz. Iran is unlikely to accept a total ban on enriching Uranium since as part of the 2015 Nuclear deal with US, they can enrich Uranium for civilian use. Similarly, accepting curbs on their missile program seem totally out of the question.
Iran on their part have also made certain demands ahead of any such peace talks. The Iranian regime want US to remove all its bases from the middle east as part of this peace process. That is something the United States is never going to agree to. Notably, Iran has been striking the Gulf countries housing these US bases repeatedly during the ongoing conflict. Iran has also signaled that they are not going to relinquish any control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Of course during such negotiations, parties start with almost impossible demands before trying to negotiate their way to a middle ground, so this is all part of the posturing, but if such demands are being made before even coming to the table, then it doesn’t give much hope that the negotiations will even begin.
Then of course there is the question of Israel. While US President Trump has dropped several hints about looking to end the war, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has clearly said that Israeli forces will decide when this war ends and not the US.
What transpires over the next few days remains to be seen, but for now, chances of immediate peace in the region do seem bleak.
