Time to shirk posturing

Iran has indulged in some strategic posturing meant to convey that it will be a major stakeholder in the emerging new regional order. With the US-Israeli aggression against Iran on a pausing after two months, Supreme Leader Syed Mojtaba Khamenei insists that a "new chapter of stability" is unfolding as the Strait of Hormuz is being "regulated" by the Islamic Republic. That came as a snub to the unilateral blockade of the water channel by Washington at the mouth of Arabian Sea, resulting in further rise in oil prices and triggering worldwide concerns about supra-inflation. Khamenei has also made it loud and clear that his country will closely guard its nuclear and missile capabilities, adding that the future of the Gulf is without the United States.

This rhetoric, in fact, comes limiting the space for diplomatic maneuvering between the two arch foes, being led by Islamabad. The series of statements from Khamenei have also quashed the rumours that he is seriously indisposed, and the governing strata of Iran stands fractured. President Donald Trump has repeatedly eulogised "America's victory" in the war, claiming that Iran is on the verge of collapse, and incapacitated to assert itself. The reality on the ground, however, is one of sheer power-politics, as the standoff between the two sides persists, with a fragile ceasefire holding on.

The volatility, nonetheless, on the plateaus of Lebanon is quite worrisome, as Israel has issued threats to 15 towns in southern part of the country amid looming food and energy shortages. Likewise, Iranian Foreign Ministry has come up with a tit for tat to its Gulf neighbours, warning that any 'mischief' from their respective territories would be taken as an act of war and instantly retaliated. And this raises concerns for renewed conflagrations in the region. The impasse since the second round of talks in Islamabad broke down is fraught with serious consequences. It's time for the warring sides to shirk chest-thumping and turn a new leaf to work collectively for a perpetual end to the war in the Middle East.