The memorandum between the US and Iran was unworkable from the very start: Vladimir Sazhin

Vladimir Sazhin, senior researcher at the Center for the Study of the Middle and Near East of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, commented to Alpha News on the situation in the Middle East.

“I have already written and spoken about the fact that the probability of signing a memorandum between the US and Iran is below average, around 25%, while the probability of a resumption of hostilities is above average, around 75%. This is clear because even this memorandum, to say nothing of a long-term peace agreement, is entirely based on differing views, differing positions, and differing demands of the parties. Therefore it was unworkable from the very start. Second, on April 7, when Donald Trump gave 60 days for a peaceful diplomatic resolution of the issues of the war, that deadline expired precisely today. That is why the Israelis struck quite calmly, so to speak. Especially given that before this, the Iranians had struck Israel in retaliation for Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. And of course, Israel was excluded for understandable reasons from the negotiations that had been taking place indirectly between Washington and Tehran over these two months. Trump was making decisions on Israel’s behalf, and he stated that Netanyahu needed to cease hostilities against Hezbollah. Netanyahu agreed, broadly speaking, but Hezbollah continued its attacks on Israel. As a result, hostilities continued nonetheless, which gave Iran grounds to strike Israel,” Sazhin said.

According to the expert, hostilities between Israel and Iran will in all likelihood now intensify.

“What decision Trump will make, we shall see, because he is unpredictable. Although US forces in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region have not diminished in the slightest, but have on the contrary been reinforced. So we will wait and see,” Sazhin concluded.