Dear MEPIN Readers,
With JD Vance departing Pakistan and reports that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner remain in Islamabad, the key question is: what comes next—and will negotiations resume?
- Will the United States actually move to blockade the Strait of Hormuz? And if so, why was Iranian oil allowed to continue flowing to China and India during the first six weeks of the war?
- Why does Iran believe it can outlast and ultimately prevail?
- Why does Washington still seek formal assurances from Tehran on nuclear intentions when its record consistently undermines its credibility?
- Have U.S. negotiators fully internalized that they are dealing not with rational Western actors, but with ideological zealots who are also highly skilled negotiators?
- And will America’s allies step forward to help secure the Strait now that the U.S. has demonstrated good-faith engagement?
Your thoughts are welcome. – Eric