Peace deal and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to be welcomed but questions for Europe remain
A sigh of relief will have been let out across the world after Donald Trump agreed a deal with the Iranian regime to end the war in the Middle East and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The deal is seen as an admission of a strategic defeat by the Trump administration. The US has failed to achieve nearly all of its war aims.
There is no resolution over Iran's nuclear programme, one of the stated reasons for the launch of strikes in February. There will be no regime change. And the Iranian people who stood up to the regime will not be offered any help.
People will rightly ask the question what the past four months were all for? If anything, it has vindicated the decision of the majority of European countries to stay out of the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz being reopened would be a welcome relief but is in essence a return to the status quo prior to February 28.
And this peace deal stands on precarious ground. With an unpredictable Trump in the White House, there are no guarantees.
Hopefully a cessation of hostility will provide some respite for the global economy. However, the war in Ukraine continues to grimly rumble on.
The past few years have shown Britain and its European allies that they cannot be complacent when it comes to defence. Not only is there war on Europe’s doorstep but Trump has shown that European countries cannot continue to rely on the patronage of the US.
European countries are right to offer support towards efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, as Britain and France have. The US president said he did not think it was “a bad idea to have a ship or two” from other countries in the strategic waterway despite suggesting that no help would be needed once the agreement was in place.