The US-Iran MoU, open to (mis)interpretation and power plays, hangs by a thread. Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice, and the US has reportedly hit 140 Iranian targets as retaliation on Sunday, with Iran responding with missile attacks on US allies Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. While still within lines of a predictable pattern - strike, stop, talk, renew - the two sides have caused significant tears in the high-stakes diplomacy.
Donald Trump announced that the fragile ceasefire was 'over'. But he also said that 'full-scale war' was unlikely in the aftermath of the latest flare-up. Last week, Iran attacked three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz for trying to get out by hugging the Omani coast. The US hit more than 170 targets in Iran in response. Who knew 170 legitimate targets were still left?
