French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to force open the Strait of Hormuz after US President Donald Trump challenged allies to work towards reopening it. In unusually strong criticism, Macron accused Trump of constantly contradicting himself on the Iran war and of undermining faith in the NATO military alliance.
Europe should get together with Russia and China to negotiate a peace deal. Russia could agree to store and process Iran’s enriched uranium, something which it has already suggested. The uranium could be given to Iran as needed for peaceful purposes. In return, Europe would end all sanctions. The strait of Hormuz would be opened as soon as the US and Israel stop bombing Iran. If Iran agrees to such a deal, Trump might be willing to follow since there would be no more uranium to bomb and Europe, Russia, and China have left him isolated.
None of that fulfills Trump’s obligations to the oil industry to destabilize the world order and keep a risk premium in oil.
Remember, he went begging to the US oil execs for campaign cash, promised they’d get what they wanted. Iran, the blocking of green energy projects, the opening of the rest of Gulf of Mexico to drilling, and Venezuela and more are all paying back that obligation.
That’s the reason Europe, Russia, and China should get together and make a deal without the US. Trump doesn’t just want to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb but wants to control Iran just as he’s controlling Venezuela.