Is the deescalation of tensions between the U.S.and Iran real? Assuming that it is, what are the next steps for diplomacy in the region?
Ryan Crocker is a former ambassador to Iraq, and former dean of Texas A&M University’s George Bush School of Government and Public Service. He says caution remains important.
“I think this is a pause,” Crocker says. “The Iranians dropped some missiles on bases where our troops are present, without hurting anyone.”
Crocker says Iran’s actions indicate it was seeking to make a point, without escalating tensions further.
“This war didn’t start the day before yesterday, and it’s not going to end the day after tomorrow,” Crocker says.
President Donald Trump has asked members of the NATO alliance to work with the U.S. as it confronts Iran. Crocker says our ability to collaborate with other countries is a unique advantage.
“The strength of America since World War II has, at least in part, rested on our many alliances,” Crocker says. “We have them. Our competitors don’t – China and Russia.”
Crocker says he doesn’t know what Trump intended to convey when he invoked NATO but he says it’s preferable to the president’s habit of denigrating the alliance.
Written by Shelly Brisbin.
