The announcement of an impending Iran deal could not have been a better birthday gift for President Donald Trump – but celebrations could be short-lived if fragile details of the agreement fail to hold.
Obstacles will not be easy to overcome, Chinese observers say. Any lasting framework must navigate uncertainties around the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme under its new regime, the mechanisms of sanction relief for Tehran and a rattled Israel, which has vowed to remove what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as “existential threats”.
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“Trump’s current priorities are stabilising the economy and preparing for the midterm elections, so this is advantageous for him on both counts, at the very least.”
It is not clear what they agreed on exactly, but shortly after Sharif’s announcement, Trump wrote on social media that the deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway that is vital for global oil and LNG trade.
