US President Donald Trump has opted to hold off on his threats of a major attack on Iran. He says his decision was based on requests Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
On Sunday, Trump warned Iran, saying the “clock is ticking” for them to “get moving” before “there won’t be anything left of them”.
Earlier on Monday, Iran warned the US and its allies against making a new “strategic mistake” or miscalculation as a senior military commander said the country’s armed forces were more prepared and stronger than before.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in remarks carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB that Iran’s armed forces remained on high alert and were ready to respond to any renewed attack.
Abdollahi said Iran’s enemies had repeatedly tested the country and its armed forces
“They should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran and its armed forces are more prepared and stronger than before, with their fingers on the trigger,” he said.
Appearing on Al Jazeera before Trump’s pull-back, Henry Ensher, a former US ambassador to Algeria, said the military options when it comes to Iran and all are “just terrible” for the United States.
“If he does just a small strike he gets criticism and it won’t have any effect on the Iranian regime. If he does a very large strike, the risks are very great both in terms of US casualties and because it might not work either,” Ensher said.
“So his military options are very bad,” he said.
Ensher also said the US president was likely hoping that the Gulf states would ask him to hold off on attacking Iran again, “because that’s what he wanted to do anyway”.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely. – AA
