Trump began Iran talks as allies warned war risked disaster

Trump’s decision to back down from his ultimatum shows the scattered approach he has taken to the war. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump’s decision to back down from his threat to destroy Iran’s power infrastructure came after US allies and Gulf countries privately warned the President of the dangers of following through with his threat, according to people familiar with the matter. 

The US President said on March 23 he was giving Iran a five-day reprieve from his threatened action, pointing to new talks with Tehran he believed could broker a deal that would resolve the conflict.

But Mr Trump’s decision came after some allies cautioned that the war was quickly becoming a disaster. Regional partners told the US that permanent damage to Iranian infrastructure would almost inevitably result in a failed state after the conflict ended, according to the people, who described private conversations on the condition of anonymity.

Pulling back also dovetailed with another interest of the President’s: calming markets rattled by his threats and the ongoing conflict.

Mr Trump’s decision, which was announced shortly before US trading began, was designed in part to address those concerns, according to the people, and immediately spurred a sharp fall in Brent crude and a rebound in the S&P 500 and US Treasuries.