Trump Cannot Win Against Iran on Battlefield or Through a Deal: Jeffrey Sachs
US President Donald Trump cannot win the ongoing war against Iran either through military fighting or through a formal agreement, prominent US economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs has said.
He made the remarks in an interview with Iran's Mehr News Agency on the future of the war against Iran, Tehran-Washington relations and the role of major powers in global politics.
Jeffrey Sachs said the US government and Trump in particular do not want to present themselves as weak. But it is not possible for them to win either on the battlefield or through a formal agreement.
In his view, the war can be ended without any formal agreement. If the United States lifts the blockade and withdraws its troops and military presence from the Middle East, Iran's security will be ensured, the destruction will stop and the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened. But he also thinks US sanctions are unlikely to be withdrawn soon.
Rejecting the possibility of a new diplomatic framework between the United States and Iran, Sachs said there is no prospect of such an initiative until there is a new president in the United States, a completely different government in Israel and a change in the viewpoint of US political leadership.
Criticising the role of the United Nations, he said the Security Council has shown grave failure in this crisis. Most European countries also did not behave responsibly. He called on the United States to obey international law.
Sachs also said BRICS countries should take a firm stand to protect the principles of the UN Charter. At the same time, each region needs to build its own security system without relying on outside powers.
In his view, because of the long-standing US policy of dominance worldwide, the country has become involved in multiple expensive wars. This has led to huge spending, a rise in the cost of living and higher interest rates. He described the Iran war as a conflict in which neither side has achieved a real victory.
