US "Maximum Pressure" on Iran Doomed to Fail, Says National Interest

A recent article in The National Interest magazine argues that the United States' policy of "maximum pressure" against Iran is unlikely to succeed, citing significant shifts in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East since former President Donald Trump's first term.

The article posits that a potential second Trump administration, or any future US president, will be forced to reckon with a new reality in the region, rendering a repeat of past strategies ineffective. The piece highlights changing global and regional priorities for the US, suggesting that the Middle East policy of a future administration will face considerable challenges.

This assessment comes amid a flurry of international news, including:

• Israeli Airstrikes Continue: Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have reportedly killed at least 14 people and injured 30, according to Palestinian sources. The Palestinian Authority reported that the death toll includes journalist Muhammad Jaber al-Kurainawi, bringing the total number of journalists killed in Gaza to 195. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on Syria have intensified, with reports of over 61 bombings in the past five hours.
• University of Washington Professor Decries Suppression of Freedom on US Campuses: Professor Donald Earl Collins of the University of Washington, in an article published by Al Jazeera English, described a climate of "repression and suffocation" on American university campuses, particularly concerning pro-Palestinian student activism.
• ALBA Bloc Calls for Multipolar World: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) supports the creation of a multipolar world order.
• UNICEF Condemns Killing of Children in Gaza: UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza, stating "the world cannot remain indifferent" to the killing of children. UN reports indicate that 70% of the victims of Israeli attacks on Gaza are women and children.
• Kurdish Activists Protest in Germany: Kurdish activists occupied the former Turkish consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, protesting Turkey's actions in Syria and demanding an end to German arms shipments to Ankara.
• Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Leader Signals No Conflict with Israel: Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist group and current head of a new political administration in Syria, stated that the new regime has no intention of clashing with Israel.
• Blinken Acknowledges US Ties to HTS: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted to direct US connections with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group.

The National Interest article concludes that a mere repetition of past approaches will not be effective, suggesting a need for the next US president to adapt their Middle East strategy to the evolving realities of the region. The series of events in the Middle East, combined with the National Interest analysis, depicts a region in significant flux, with implications for international relations and the future of US foreign policy.