The president of USA, Donald Trumpassured this Monday that Washington maintains “serious conversations” with what he has described as “new and more reasonable regime” in Iran. However, he immediately added that he thinks continue attacks against electrical and oil infrastructure of the Persian country if an agreement is not reached soon.
Trump has warned that if negotiations and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to navigation, its Administration will destroy “everything that remains standing”including the Jark Islandkey for Iranian exports of hydrocarbons. As he has said, although there have been “great advances” in the dialogue, sees an immediate pact unlikely a few days before the suspension of attacks against the power plants in exchange for the reopening of the maritime passage.
“If for some reason an agreement is not reached soon, which is likely, and if the Strait of Hormuz does not open immediately, we will conclude our beloved stay in Iran by completely destroying all its power plants y oil wells“said the US president. Trump, who previously extended his ultimatum to Tehran to unblock the Strait of Hormuz to the April 6has also added that “likely” They will also attack the desalination plantswhich, according to him, “deliberately” They have not yet been targeted by his forces.
Archive image of Karg Island / ABEDIN TAHERKENAH / EFE
Doubts about the dialogue
Meanwhile, USA is increasing its military presence in Middle Eastwith the deployment of some 50,000 personnel and with supposed plans of Pentagon for a ground raid on Iran. The American president has framed that threat as retaliation for the “numerous soldiers and other people” who, in his opinion, Iran has killed during the 47 years of “reign of terror” of the previous regime. With that message, the White House insists on presenting itself ready to negotiate, but at the same time maintains the military and energy pressure on Tehran.
For his part, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubioassured that the leadership of Iran maintains internal disagreementsthus reaffirming the American position. “There are some internal fractures there, in the Iranian leadership. And, in the end, I think that if there are people in Iran who now, given all the circumstances, are willing to take their country in a different direction, that would be a positive thing,” he said in an interview on the network ABC News.
Rubio also stood up to the constant denials of the Iranian authorities, who maintain that there has been no direct contacts with Washington and have questioned whether Trump has a real interest in closing an agreement. He Secretary of State assured that there was a gap between the official version of the Iranian regime in the media and what they discuss in private: “What they tell you or what they make public to the world does not necessarily reflect what they say in our conversations,” assuredalthough he did not provide examples or details, as he said, “for your safety”. The spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaeihas confirmed contacts through third parties, but has regretted that the first proposals sent from USA they are not reasonable.
Jark Island Obsession
The obsession of Donald Trump for the Jark Island dates back at least to 1988. That year, in an interview with The Guardianthe current president of USA made clear his hardness towards Iran with a very specific threat: “I would be tough on Iran. They have been beating us psychologically, making us look like a bunch of fools. If they fired a single bullet at one of our men or our ships, I would teach them a good lesson on the island of Jark“That fixation, which then seemed like a mere bravuconadareappears now in a much more delicate context, after Trump has hinted at the possibility of sending troops to take control of the island.
The Jark Island is the main oil export terminal of Iran and a key piece for its economy. Located off the Iranian coast, in the north of Gulfhas waters deep enough to carry large tankerswith the capacity to transport around two million barrels. Through this enclave it passes near the 90% of Iranian crude oil exportswhich makes the island a strategic point of the first order both for Tehran as for any power that aspires to strangle its energy income.
They are geopolitical importance already emerged during the war between Iran and Iraq in the eighties, when Jark was repeatedly bombed by the Iraqi aviation. The past March 13, USA attacked on the island 90 military objectivesalthough it avoided damaging the oil infrastructure. If Washington decided to take it, it would most likely be a temporary operation to cut the Iranian exports and pressure the regime until it lifted its control over the Strait of Hormuz and accept American demands. However, given the capacity of endurance y challenge of the Iranian regime, it is highly doubtful that this strategy would be effective.
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