Dmitry Medvedev: Situation around Iran remains highly uncertain

Maintaining a fragile truce with Iran could be an acceptable interim option for the US to resolve the conflict, believes Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council.

“The conflict between the US and Iran has been put on pause. Predictably, both sides have declared victory,” he wrote on his Telegram channel. “So, who won? Above all, common sense, faith in which was severely undermined by White House statements about destroying Iranian civilization in a single day.”

At the same time, the very fact of Trump’s willingness to discuss a ten-point plan is a success for the Iranians, Medvedev noted: “The question is whether Washington will agree to it: after all, it includes compensation for damages to Iran, the continuation of the nuclear program, and Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. Obviously, they won’t. It’s humiliating for them and would mean a real victory for the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“So, what then? Renewed hostilities? Possibly, but there is an interim option. Trump doesn’t want and cannot wage a long war, and Congress won’t support him either. This means maintaining a fragile truce and pretending everything is fine. Because every move on this board creates a position close to zugzwang.

But these are chess games with not two, but three players. There is also Israel, which is not playing on the US side. It doesn’t need a truce, and it hasn’t achieved its goals. And it could very well make its move: simply sweep all the pieces off the chessboard. This makes the situation highly uncertain,” wrote the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council.

According to him, Europeans will have to live in a regime of strict austerity for a long time: “After all, there will be no cheap oil.”