Six weeks – and counting

Epic Fury is not proceeding as per the aspirations of the United States which is ramping up on the scale of losses. The reported downing of five aircraft, including two helicopters, by Iran has upped the ante. The Islamic republic claims that two F35 supersonic aircraft had been shot down, apart from a CH-47F Chinook dual-rotor transport helicopter. This is surely a drawback for President Trump who has claimed that the air defence system of Iran has been knocked out, and the skies are literally unchecked. Moreover, the flak that Trump's speech to the nation has drawn has pushed the White House on a defensive note. There are not many takers on the do-ability of the war strategy in vogue. The firing of Chief of Staff Gen Randy George and other commanders in the midst of the conflict is a case in point. It makes clear that the road ahead is bumpy, also evident from the allies taking a backseat. Diplomacy, however, is reportedly making strides behind the curtain as middle powers, including Pakistan and Turkiye, are out to broker a ceasefire. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's statement that Tehran has "never refused to go to Islamabad" is a shot in the arm for parleys, and dispels the impression that Pakistan's mediation between the US and Iran is not bearing fruits. Tehran's submission is understandable as it is eager for a "conclusive and lasting end" to the war that has been imposed on it. At the same time what is desired is that the trauma that is in vogue in the form of volatility over the Gulf States must come to an end, and the Straits of Hormuz made navigable in the larger interest of the global economy. The war, in its sixth week, is in need of profound justice and fair play. Jurists of repute have already made a point that International Law has been bruised as the US and Israel went ahead with aggression. Similarly, Israel's vested designs over Iran and the Muslim world now stand exposed. Thus, a new international order must set in to broker reconciliation in the Middle East.