Trump needs a tougher Iran negotiating strategy
The Islamic Republic of Iran has established the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to collect tolls from ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which raises concerns about financing terrorism. President Trump's negotiating strategy with Iranian officials, particularly Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, may be flawed if Ghalibaf lacks real power. To effectively negotiate, Trump should consider targeting hard-line rivals within Iran to strengthen his position.
- ▪Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority collects tolls for ships, with a standard fee of $2 million.
- ▪The U.S. designates the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, complicating negotiations.
- ▪Trump's strategy may fail if he focuses on Ghalibaf without addressing the influence of other power brokers in Iran.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The Islamic Republic of Iran created the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to collect tolls for ships seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz’s international waters. The normal toll? $2 million. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly controls the Authority. That matters because the U.S. designates the Revolutionary Guards in its entirety as a terrorist group. This means that any country paying tolls on behalf of its ships is financing terrorism and should be subject to sanctions. At the same time, with Pakistani mediation, President Donald Trump’s negotiating team is negotiating with Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the parliament and an ambitious four-time presidential loser best known to Iranians for his combination of ambition and corruption.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Washington Examiner.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Washington Examiner
