21-hour talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad ended inconclusively. This is very unfortunate because this war must end, otherwise there will be great devastation. The livelihoods of millions of people and the future of the global economy depend on peace in the region. Differences over issues such as the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear program, and Lebanon remain unresolved. Iran also demands the release of billions of dollars worth of frozen assets. They want the sanctions imposed on them lifted. Why the talks failed is not the subject of this article. This dialogue is also important because Iran held the US in the mirror.
The US President had to send his Vice President to Pakistan to appease the very country whose civilization he had threatened to destroy overnight. Deeply wounded, Iran refused to bow to the great America and sent back Vice President J.D. Vance, the US president, empty-handed. Is the power and influence of mighty America waning? This war has dealt the biggest blow to America’s credibility. The Strait of Hormuz was open before the war. It is now closed due to this unnecessary war. Whose foolishness has caused this? After six weeks of war, not a single objective has been achieved. The Economist wrote, “America’s power proved ineffective in the war.”
Professor Shibli Telhami of the University of Maryland, USA, writes about the US decision to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, “Confusing and self-destructive… What remains of America’s credibility?” Iran fought a war using unconventional methods and limited weapons. It did not win, but it did not lose. It has always been in America’s core interests to keep sea routes open for its own and global trade. This is especially important in the Middle East, where oil is imported. The US has exerted all its efforts, but this waterway remains under Iranian military control. Gulf countries are questioning whether the US is needed in the region if it cannot open the Strait of Hormuz. The US’s failure to protect Gulf countries from Iranian missiles and drones is calling into question its capabilities.
Relations have soured over the way Dubai was targeted in the war and the US failed to defend it. Pakistan, at Saudi Arabia’s request, has sent 13,000 troops and fighter jets to protect it. Gulf countries believe that the Donald Trump administration is useless as a protector. Bases in Gulf countries were symbols of US power. Iran destroyed 13 of these bases, so badly damaged that, according to the New York Times, they could no longer be used. Middle East experts at George Washington University have stated, “Iran destroyed the entire US power infrastructure there in one month.” Instead of providing security, these bases became targets of attacks, a claim the Gulf countries are complaining about. Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, which is headquartered in Bahrain. It was severely damaged.
American historian Alfred McCoy has called this America’s “Suez moment.” Just as the 1956 Suez Canal dispute eroded the imperial power of England and France, the Strait of Hormuz could also limit America’s power. McCoy writes, “A dominant military power could not coerce a determined but weak power, Iran. It can inflict punishment, but it cannot always control the outcome.” The Strait of Hormuz is being seen as a sign of America’s diminishing power and credibility. The world is suffering greatly, but the superpower has so far been unable to do anything. The Suez Canal dispute of October 1956 was a historic turning point. The canal originates in Egyptian territory.
It was controlled by Britain and France. Egypt’s new president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, nationalized it. Britain, France, and Israel attacked it to force the opening of the Suez Canal. However, then-US President Eisenhower ordered them to halt the war. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden resigned, and Nasser became a hero in his country. This is considered the moment when Britain, exhausted by World War II, lost its position as a global power to the United States.
This marked the end of European imperialism. It marked the beginning of the Cold War, and the United States and Russia became the dominant powers. There is a fundamental difference between the Suez and Hormuz disputes. Iran is certainly playing the role of Nasser, but the United States is not a tired imperialist power ceding space to a new master. The Suez River flows through Egyptian territory, while the Hormuz River is an international waterway that Iran has forcibly blocked.
Britain in 1956 was bankrupt, while America’s power is unmatched globally. Russia lags far behind. China has come close, but cannot match America’s military might, which is three times that of China. America’s GDP is expected to be $32 trillion in 2026, while China’s will be around $21 trillion. China’s progress is impressive, and America has been unable to stop it, but China is not coming close. America is self-sufficient in oil, while China, like us, is dependent on others. Blocking the Strait of Hormuz is causing them as much pain as we are. The dollar remains the dominant currency, the yuan cannot compete, but despite this, it is clear that America’s influence has declined.
In fact, America’s influence has been declining over the past few decades. After suffering heavy losses in Vietnam and Afghanistan, the US was forced to flee. Military operations in countries like Iraq, Syria, and Libya were futile. Those countries were further destabilized and left, and now Iran is beyond control. Currently, America is alone in the world. Not a single country is on its side. Trump himself has said, “Japan didn’t help us. Australia didn’t help us. South Korea didn’t help us.” French President Macron has even called for a new world order. America used to provide stability to the world, but Trump’s America is destroying all international institutions.
No NATO member states supported the conflict with Iran. Countries like Spain and Italy refused to allow US aircraft flying over their airspace heading towards the Gulf. Spanish President Pedro Sanchez has stated bluntly, “We will not support those who set the world on fire.” France and England have declared, “This is not our war.”
Countries like the Gulf, Europe, and Taiwan are all now concerned about their own security. Canada, once America’s twin, has become a major critic. If the conflict in the Gulf continues, America’s prestige will further decline. America’s arbitrariness has shattered the old order. A new multipolar system could emerge. Countries like India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Canada, South Africa, Japan, and Germany could become active. The BRICS summit is scheduled to be held in India this year. All eyes will be on it. Hopefully, India will raise its voice and break the recent silence. We cannot sit in the audience and watch the spectacle. Our moral reputation in the world has declined. We have a lot at stake. Chinese expert Einar Tenzen has sarcastically observed, “India should lead the Global South.”
Don’t just watch what others are doing.” America is still a superpower, and will remain so. But it’s a superpower that, intoxicated by power, is making mistake after mistake. The latest folly is the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The already closed Strait is being further blocked. Nearly 20% of the world’s oil passes through it. Has Trump considered the impact of blocking the world’s oil on the world order, including the United States? And under what international law is this being done? The way the United States is defying world opinion and violating international law further diminishes its influence.
Our former ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Suri, said, “When we look back on this period, it will be remembered that this was the time when the once-great American civilization and power began to decline.” Now, peace talks may be beginning again. Hopefully, they will reach a conclusion, but the question remains: why was this war started in the first place? What has been achieved by spending billions of dollars, killing thousands of people, and causing massive destruction? China and Russia, who are watching the developments, will surely be pleased. Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Don’t obstruct your enemy when he’s making a mistake.”
