U.S. Ambassador to Iran said that Iran had made a serious strategic mistake - Al Jazeera
Iran has ushered in a new phase of the conflict in the Middle East by beginning to launch strikes not only against American and Israeli targets, but also against countries in the Persian Gulf. This view was expressed by former U.S. Ambassador Joey Good, who believes that Tehran has made a serious strategic mistake.
According to the diplomat, another mistake was U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to launch strikes against Iran. At the same time, he believes that Tehran’s attacks on neighboring countries could change attitudes toward Iran even among those who previously sympathized with it.
Former U.S. Ambassador Joey Good stated that Iran is currently showing no willingness to negotiate and has instead chosen the path of further escalation of the conflict. In his view, a new phase of the confrontation began after Tehran started attacking countries in the Persian Gulf.
At the same time, the diplomat believes that the United States also made a strategic mistake at the outset. “President Trump made a strategic mistake when he decided to attack Iran,” Good said.
However, he added that Tehran’s response only made the situation worse. “Iran made its own strategic mistake,” the former diplomat emphasized.
In his view, if Iran had focused its strikes exclusively on U.S. forces and Israel, it might have retained the support of part of the international community. “If they had focused their strikes on U.S. and Israeli forces, the rest of the region and the world would likely have retained some sympathy for a regime fighting for its survival,” Good explained.
Instead, attacks on neighboring Persian Gulf countries, as well as strikes on civilian infrastructure and commercial shipping, have, in his view, radically changed the situation. The diplomat noted that even after the official end of the active phase of hostilities, Iran continued to attack the infrastructure of countries in the region and merchant ships. “Iran took advantage of the situation to start a war that, they hope, will give them control over the economies of the Gulf states and, along with that, significant political influence,” the former U.S. ambassador stated.
According to Joey Good, such a strategy could result in even greater international isolation for Tehran and increased support for the Gulf states from the U.S. and its allies. At the time of publication, Iranian officials had not commented on the American diplomat’s statements, according to Al Jazeera.
Iran exported at least 10 million barrels of crude oil and fuel oil in a single night. According to analysts, Tehran may have been acting in haste due to fears that the U.S. would soon tighten its control over shipping in the region once again.
Iran reported the deaths of three Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps soldiers following new U.S. strikes. Despite declarations of a ceasefire, the sides continue to exchange attacks, and the situation in the Middle East remains tense.
The United States has announced a large-scale military operation against Iran. Over the past two days, U.S. forces have struck more than 170 military targets located near the Strait of Hormuz. Officials in Washington say the main goal of the operation is to weaken Iran’s ability to attack international shipping.
Despite declarations of a ceasefire, the situation in the Middle East has escalated again. On Wednesday night, the U.S. and Iran exchanged new strikes, and Jordan announced that it had intercepted Iranian missiles over its territory. Meanwhile, in Iran, the funeral for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei continues amid ongoing hostilities.
