WASHINGTON -- Despite renewed US strikes on Iran, attacks around the Gulf, and President Donald Trump's shifting proposals on the Strait of Hormuz, veteran Middle East scholar Francis Gregory Gause argues that diplomacy is still alive, and that both Washington and Tehran are once again maneuvering to strengthen their positions before an eventual return to negotiations.In an interview with RFE/RL, Francis Gregory Gause III, professor emeritus at the Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington, D.C., discussed the latest escalation between the US and Iran, the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, the impact of a renewed US blockade, and why he believes diplomacy remains the only realistic endgame.RFE/RL: We've seen four consecutive nights of US strikes inside Iran. Looking at the past 72 hours, what has changed strategically between Washington and Tehran? Despite the fighting, are meaningful diplomatic channels still alive?Francis Gregory Gause: I think diplomatic channels are still alive. I think even the [US] president has indicated that he's more than willing to engage diplomatically. I mean, I think there was a fundamental inability to come to a meeting of the minds between the two sides, even in the memorandum of understanding.It's clear that the Trump administration thought the memorandum of understanding meant that the straightforward move would return things to the status quo ante. It was equally clear that the Iranians read the memorandum as giving them a direct role in managing -- and eventually the ability to charge ships for using -- the Strait of Hormuz. The fact that the two sides couldn't even agree on something as basic as that indicated that the memorandum of understanding was seriously flawed.