Editorial | Iran nuclear deal can only be saved if all parties agree to talk

Escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington in world’s busiest oil shipping lane have potential to spark military conflict – and no one wants that

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President Donald Trump has added to tougher sanctions on Tehran by boosting the American military presence in the region and calling on allies to join. Photo: AP

Published: 9:50pm, 18 Jul 2019Updated: 11:26pm, 18 Jul 2019

Escalating tensions between Iran and the United States in the world’s busiest oil shipping lane have the potential to spark a military conflict. A build-up of warships raises the risk of a miscalculation and that could too easily spin out of control, leading to war. Neither side, nor their allies, wants that; the cost in lives, economic losses and disruption to global energy supplies is simply too great. Only restraint and dialogue can avert disaster and tragedy.

Pulling back is no easy task when the US and Iran are so confident that their positions are right. In response to claimed Iranian sabotage attacks on six oil tankers in, or near, the Strait of Hormuz and the shooting down of a US drone, President Donald Trump has added to tougher sanctions on Tehran by boosting the American military presence in the region and calling on allies to join. Britain sent a warship after forces from Iran tried to impede movement of a British tanker through the strait in response to the seizure by British commandos of an Iranian vessel off the coast of Gibraltar on suspicion it was violating sanctions on Syria. Events are reminiscent of the tensions before the US invasions of Iraq in 1990 and 2003.

Tehran does not want that, its war with Iraq in the 1980s resulting in one million deaths. Although the hawks in Trump’s administration seem eager for conflict, the president is reluctant, and understandably so as he campaigns for a second term; he called off air strikes at the eleventh hour last month. Still, he is ultimately to blame for the crisis, his decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union and impose tough penalties, despite Tehran’s compliance, sending the worst of messages. Trump seeks renegotiation of the deal to include Iran’s missile programme and claimed extremism in the Middle East, a move rejected by Tehran and the other signatories.

The US sanctions make it impossible for Iran to benefit from the accord as promised. China’s continued purchase of Iranian oil using yuan and Tehran’s efforts to woo Chinese tourists with visa-free entry will not significantly ease Iran’s economic difficulties. To convince Europe to offer economic compensation and pressure the US to return to the deal, Iran has started breaching some of the terms, most controversially to exceed limits on uranium enrichment. It is willing to open dialogue with the US once sanctions have been removed, but discussion of its missile programme is “not negotiable”.

The risk of the nuclear deal collapsing is high and the EU has urged Iran to go back to full compliance. Trump and Iran have both expressed a willingness to talk, and efforts by all concerned have to be stepped up to ease tensions and open negotiations.