A two-week ceasefire has been agreed after Donald Trump’s chilling annihilation threat to Iran, but experts warn Vladimir Putin will be lapping it up as his own victory.
When the US President posted on Truth Social threatening that America can destroy Iran in “one night” and that a “whole civilisation will die” unless his demands are met, the world looked on in shock. The Pope condemned the statement strongly, as did the UN Secretary General – with leaders across the globe on tenterhooks.
Pakistan has been mediating peace talks, and a two-week ceasefire was announced at the eleventh hour. Contingent on shipping restarting in the Strait of Hormuz – which Iran had managed to keep shut down during the conflict with the US and Israel, sending shockwaves across the financial markets – it has been agreed that no further military action will be take by the US or Iran in this time. Israel has said the ceasefire does not cover Lebanon, something the Prime Minister of Pakistan previously said was included.
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Despite the moment of calm seeming to approach in the conflict, the ripple effects of Trump’s doomsday threats against Iran linger. And a security specialist has warned that Putin is the main figure benefiting from the turmoil that has spilled over in the wider region of the Middle East.
Professor Anthony Glees, a leading international relations expert from the University of Buckingham, tells the Mirror that Russia – a long time ally of Iran – is the only player so far to be strengthened by the war waged by the US and Israel.
“Above all, a war that Trump was convinced could be contained has spread further and further with each day’s fighting, has swept up the whole of the Middle East and the Gulf States, destabilised each and every one of America’s allies in the region and most dangerous of all, brought a Third World War much closer whilst crippling Western economies for years, perhaps decades to come,” he said.
“Meanwhile, Putin emerges as a real winner of this conflict because his ally Iran has not been destroyed on the battlefield because it is fighting tooth and nail with its weapons of choice, oil and drones and Russia can now sell more oil to the world and at a even higher price than before.”
One-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and just hours ago a UN Security Council resolution to reopen it was blocked by China and Russia, who both have veto power on the council. The Bahrain-sponsored resolution failed after receiving 11 votes in favour, two abstention, as well as their votes against.
The resolution had been somewhat watered down when Russia and China – as well as France – opposed language that meant offensive force could be used to keep the Strait open, preferring instead the wording to read “all defensive means necessary”.
The markets reacted positively to the ceasefire when they opened today (8 April) in the UK, but even in the best case scenario, food prices are still likely to be affected for some time, with food inflation forecasts from the Food and Drink Federation including “at least” a nine percent rise, saying last week, “our update is based on assumptions that the Straits of Hormuz opens within 2-3 weeks and energy production in the Middle East returns to normal within a year.”
Meanwhile, relations between the UK and Russia continue to worsen, with a war of words from Moscow’s state media calling for Putin to blow up Westminster Bridge. This call for revenge came in response to British drones “destroying a Russian-held crossing in a Ukrainian operation”. The strike took place in March last year, but it has only just emerged that Ukraine used British Malloy T-150 heavy-lift drones for the attack.
Moscow state media propagandist Vladimir Kornilov said “noteworthy how the British openly boast about their participation in acts of sabotage on Russian territory” – though the attack saw an explosion take place in Ukrainian territory..
He chillingly warned: “It’s high time we started bragging: ‘Russian missiles destroyed the key Westminster Bridge’. Of course, the Houthis or the Iranians will be the ones doing the hitting!”
“The British are practically choking with delight at their direct involvement in the terrorist attack”. He also asked what the British would “sing about” if Westminster Bridge – next to the Houses of Parliament – was destroyed.
Meanwhile, a wealthy oligarch and propagandist said that Putin should unleash a nuclear attack on Ukraine within the next month. Konstantin Malofeev said: “Everything will be decided by a nuclear strike. It’s time to end this war (in Ukraine) now.”
He continued: “Russia will warn the population 72 hours in advance of a nuclear strike on western Ukraine. A strike of 20–25 kilotons will cause critical destruction and panic across the country… The war will end within a month.”.......…