‘Eventually They’ll Return To The Table’: Middle East Expert Gause Sees Diplomacy Surviving US-Iran Escalation

(Alex Raufoglu – RFE/RL) Despite renewed US strikes on Iran, attacks around the Gulf, and President Donald Trump’s shifting proposals on the Strait of Hormuz, veteran Middle East scholar Francis Gregory Gause argues that diplomacy is still alive, and that both Washington and Tehran are once again maneuvering to strengthen their positions before an eventual return to negotiations. In an interview with RFE/RL, Francis Gregory Gause III, professor emeritus at the Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington, D.C., discussed the latest escalation between the US and Iran, the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, the impact of a renewed US blockade, and why he believes diplomacy remains the only realistic endgame. – ‘Eventually They’ll Return To The Table’: Middle East Expert Gause Sees Diplomacy Surviving US-Iran Escalation