Analyst: The ceasefire was an American initiative, and not Iran's submission to air strikes

Alex Vatanga, a senior researcher at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., questioned Trump's claim that “the United States air strikes for almost two weeks forced Iran back to the negotiating table”. Vatanga stated that Iran was not considered to have given up simply because of the United States military strikes. The message that the Iranian side has been sending to the Trump administration is that time is on their side and that Iran can suffer more than the United States. So let's do it. This is a step-by-step exercise for Iran, but this is precisely their strategy in recent weeks, and no significant changes have been observed. Vatanga added that United States officials and sources in Washington were instead discussing the effects of the continued air strikes against Iraq, which most believed were no longer effective. Considers this ceasefire more like a United States initiative and would like to see if diplomacy is given another chance. Kim Xian