Iran standoff could leave Trump worse off than before he went to war

Over two months after the start of the dispute, President Donald Trump now finds himself in an extended stand-off with Iran with no sign of any military or diplomatic solution to the problem with a possibility of turning the current crisis into a bigger international issue than before.

Both countries are firm about their stands and show no signs of compromise. Even though Iran has offered another proposal for dialogue, Trump turned down the offer last Friday.

The continuing deadlock may be politically and strategically costly for Trump and the Republican Party.

A failure to resolve the dispute would result in continuing adverse economic repercussions worldwide, such as expensive gas prices in America, and may be harmful to the already low approval ratings of Trump and Republican candidates leading to November's midterm election of congressmen.

These developments highlight a broader dilemma: the conflict has yet to achieve many of Donald Trump’s stated goals.

While strikes by the US and Israel have weakened Iran’s military capabilities, key objectives, ranging from regime change to halting Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons,remain unmet.

Concerns over a prolonged stalemate have grown after Trump cancelled planned talks with representatives from Pakistan and rejected Iran’s proposal to maintain a ceasefire that had been in place since April 8.

Iran had suggested delaying discussions on its nuclear programme until after the conflict and instead focusing on a broader peace deal, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, Trump dismissed the proposal, insisting that nuclear issues be addressed first.