The authorities of the United States and Iran will be forced to return to negotiations due to the inability of either side to achieve a victory. This point of view was expressed by Chinese experts.
"The war has reached a stalemate. Both sides are threatening to resort to extreme measures, but this also demonstrates that neither can achieve a decisive victory. Ultimately, the conflict will have to be settled through negotiations," the Global Times newspaper quotes Ding Long, a professor at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at the Shanghai International Studies University.
The expert pointed out that the problem of ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important issues caused by the Middle East crisis. "Missiles cannot solve this problem, only negotiations," he emphasized. Ding Long noted that the escalation of the conflict has reached a critical point and the situation could spin out of control.
The professor reminded that the risks are exacerbated by the nuclear issue, which, as he specified, should perhaps be considered the greatest cause for concern.
"Besides this, the main challenge lies in how the war can end and what comes next? Reconstruction? How can the security and stability of Iran be guaranteed? And will Iran be ready to help ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz? None of these questions can be solved by force; only negotiations can provide a way out of the situation," Ding Long added.
Unclear Prospects
As stated by Zhu Yongbiao, the Director of the Institute of Politics and International Relations at Lanzhou University in Northwest China, whose opinion was also cited by the same publication, since the start of the military operation against Iran, the US has yet to present a clear plan. According to him, Washington seeks to end the conflict "with dignity," while Tehran intends to achieve a final settlement, and the Israeli side "has its own demands, which further complicates the situation."
"A war without a clear finale is more likely to spin out of control than to lead to victory," Zhu Yongbiao emphasized. As he noted, military force "can destroy targets, but it is not capable of restoring order."
Earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that the United States would destroy certain Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully opened for shipping within 48 hours. The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces warned in response that in the event of such an attack, Iran would launch retaliatory strikes against United States energy and information infrastructure facilities in the region.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from TASS