MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Donald Trump appears unable to either win or end the Iran war; Ukraine seeks new allies in Europe; and the killing of the Zaporozhye nuke plant’s chief engineer may impact peace prospects. These stories topped Thursday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Media: Trump appears unable to either win or end Iran war
After resuming military operations against Iran, US President Donald Trump has found himself in a strategic deadlock with no clear way out. The US leader is caught between escalation and talks as he threatens to destroy all of Iran’s infrastructure while having no idea how to bring the conflict to an end, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes.
Four and a half months into the war, the US president has arrived where he started. Trump is grappling with a choice he created himself: either opt for a full-scale escalation of violence that could cost him his presidency or admit that he is unable to win the war. Neither option was part of his initial plan. This is why the Iran gamble increasingly appears like a trap the US leader does not know how to escape.
Meanwhile, the ranks of mediators between the US and Iran are shrinking. Pakistan, Oman and Qatar are still capable of bringing the parties back to the negotiating table, but Saudi Arabia is likely to considerably scale back its efforts, Middle East expert Murad Sadygzade told Izvestia. Apart from continued strikes on infrastructure facilities, Saudi Arabia is facing a new round of standoff with Houthi rebels, traditionally backed by Tehran. Every Iranian attack on the country’s oil facilities in retaliation against the US makes it clear that Washington cannot guarantee the security of its regional partners. All this is adding to other disagreements with Washington. That said, Riyadh’s relationship with the Trump administration is not easy at the moment, Sadygzade pointed out.
