Council on Foreign Relation's Haass: I expected Pres. Trump to announce an Iran policy during speech

Summary

• Richard Haass expresses disappointment that President Trump's primetime address did not clarify U.S. policy toward Iran, leaving strategic ambiguity.
• He argues this ambiguity fails to steady markets, reassure regional allies, or send a clear signal to Iran, which were potential goals of the speech.
• Haass outlines two plausible "exit ramps" for de-escalation: 1) Reopening negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, offering sanctions relief in exchange for caps and inspections, and 2) Creating a new international governing authority for the Strait of Hormuz that includes regional countries.
• He posits that Iran likely believes it has more "staying power" and that time is on its side, reducing its immediate incentive to negotiate.
• A key warning is issued against escalating to target Iranian energy infrastructure (e.g., power plants), as this could trigger retaliatory attacks by Iran against the water and energy infrastructure of its neighbors across the region.
• The broader principle suggested is that the Strait of Hormuz should be "open for everybody or closed to everybody," opposing Iran's ability to treat it as an internal waterway and play favorites with oil exports.