TUNIS, April 9. /TASS/. The US did not achieve a single goal of its military operation against Iran and was forced to engage in a ceasefire on Tehran’s terms, Tunisian military expert Abdel Hamid Mahfouzi told TASS.
According to him, the two–week ceasefire announced by the parties is part of "efforts to resolve the conflict but not a solution." "The truce has clearly resulted from the situation the US found itself in, exhausted by the illusion of its superiority and pressure from its Israeli ally," the expert noted. "The ceasefire, urgently initiated – in fact, sought – by the US, was reached on Iran’s terms," he added. In the analyst’s view, "the truce is the result of the United States’ failure to achieve any of its stated and unstated goals."
However, the expert emphasized that the US and Israel had set different goals for the Iran operation. "The US pursued strategic objectives in a bid to contain China, which depends on energy imports, particularly from the Gulf region," Mahfouzi stressed. He explained that after depriving China of a reliable source of energy supplies from Venezuela, the US tried to cut off its access to Iranian oil. "In contrast, Israel's goals are to remove Iran from the regional political equation and prevent the country from fulfilling its nuclear and missile ambitions," the expert added.
Mahfouzi believes that "the war has led to completely opposite results as it united Iranian society instead of encouraging attempts to change the regime and undermining domestic stability." In addition, the Strait of Hormuz closure was also "something the US had not expected." "This action, planned by Iran in advance, led to a major global economic disaster, which has first and foremost affected US allies," Mahfouzi noted.
On April 7, US President Donald Trump announced a "double-sided" two-week ceasefire with Iran. The US leader said the decision was subject to Iran agreeing to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Trump, Iran’s 10-point proposal is "a workable basis on which to negotiate." Tehran, in turn, agreed to cease retaliatory strikes if it was no longer attacked. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has acted as a mediator between the parties, invited them to visit Islamabad on April 10 for talks. According to the Islamic Republic’s state broadcaster, the parties are expected to hold direct negotiations.