US Envoy Admits “Failure” in Iran War
US special envoy for Syria and Iraq Mr. Tom Barrack could not say for sure whether starting the war with Iran was a wrong decision. But he openly admitted that the conflict has many “unintended consequences.” This means he accepted that the United States failed to carry out its own plans in the war.
He made the remarks on Tuesday during a talk with Al Jazeera diplomatic editor Mr. James Bays at the Qatar Global Security Forum in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Mr. Barrack warned that the current unrest in the Middle East is not staying within that region. He said it is quickly spreading to nearby areas.
He said the United States supports ending the ongoing tension with Iran and signing a lasting peace deal. But he said the deep and long standing mistrust between the two countries is the main barrier to peace. Mr. Barrack is the US ambassador to Turkey and the special envoy for Syria.
Mr. Barrack said the United States has always wanted a peace deal with Tehran. But since the talks began, the main problem has been a lack of trust. In his view, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) does not trust the United States, and the United States is not ready to trust the IRGC either.
Speaking about the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the US envoy said a ceasefire in the strait could become the base of a bigger regional deal. He said this deal should confirm the ceasefire in the strait and also include steps to reduce economic and other hardships for ordinary Iranian people. He stressed that economic prosperity is the only solution to the crisis.
Analysts say that, as military tension grows in the Middle East, the envoy’s words are an important sign of Washington’s attitude toward a diplomatic solution. However, the biggest challenge now is to close the trust gap between Tehran and Washington and build a more trusting environment. Source: Al Jazeera.
