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World – International Relations Expert Dr Oscar van Heerden believes that United States President Donald Trump refuses to accept that he is strategically defeated by Iran, months after launching what he called an illegal war against Tehran.
The growing tensions between the United States, Iran and Oman have escalated after Trump threatened Oman over its role in mediating a potential peace deal. Van Heerden said Washington had underestimated Iranian resolve and overestimated its own military position.
“He wants an Iran that capitulates. He wants regime change. He wants all kinds of things on his wish list. But the fact of the matter is he doesn’t want to accept that he was strategically defeated.”
Washington’s Failed Plan to Bypass Iran
Oman’s push to broker a deal between Washington and Tehran has its roots in a failed American strategy to sidestep Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, relying instead on a southern shipping route through Omani waters. The plan aimed to give vessels an alternative passage that did not depend on Iranian cooperation.
Van Heerden said Iran had anticipated the move and was prepared to respond with force to protect its bargaining position over the strait.
“Iran is one step ahead of the Americans because, one, they are saying that even if ships are going to use the Oman corridor, they are still going to fire upon them because they know that if they lose control of the Strait of Hormuz, they lose a very big bargaining power.”
Tehran’s Calculations on Going Nuclear
Questions over Tehran’s nuclear programme have resurfaced as the conflict drags on, with Washington insisting that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a weapon of its own. Tactical strikes and battlefield setbacks have pushed both sides to weigh what deterrence would take.
Van Heerden argued that Iran was likely accelerating its weapons programme, believing that only mutual nuclear capability would deter repeated attacks from the United States and Israel.
“To deter America and Israel from continuously attacking Iran every 6 months, every two years, etc., the only deterrent is going to be to have a nuclear weapon so that there can be a mutual level of deterrence. Israel has a nuclear weapon. Iran has a nuclear weapon. I think that is where Iran is going to go.”
Van Heerden said the conflict had also exposed cracks in relations between the United States and its Gulf allies, who had come to realise that Washington prioritised Israel’s security over their own. He added that the European Union and NATO lacked the will to confront Trump directly, despite the economic damage the war had caused.
Watch the Full Interview Here.
