Zakaria says US president should ultimately agree to ‘give something up’
KARACHI:
Renowned American journalist and author Fareed Zakaria said US President Donald Trump would have to “give up something” to strike a deal with Iran and end the conflict.
In an interview on Express 24/7 On the show “Full Frame” with host Fahd Husain, Zakaria said President Trump would like a deal that would put him in a stronger position than former US President Barack Obama.
“He can’t accept that he went through all this drama, pulling out of the nuclear deal, bombing the nuclear program, bombing Iran and going to war with Iran and ends up with what Obama was able to get through the negotiations,” he said, adding that Trump would try to present any outcome as an improvement over the Iran nuclear deal.
“It is clear that Donald Trump is engaged in something more complicated than he imagined… But he cannot achieve the result he wants, which is an Iranian surrender.”
He stressed that the US president should make concessions, such as easing sanctions or restoring some level of diplomatic engagement. Zakaria added that Trump’s approach to negotiations, including his dealings with China, demonstrated a certain pragmatism.
Zakaria said the U.S. president would ultimately have to accept that he also has to “give up something,” such as sanctions relief on Iran or some level of diplomatic reengagement. He said Trump might be able to do that, citing his negotiations with China as an example where he acted more practically.
He described recent developments and the announcement of negotiations as a sign of hope, saying it appeared both sides wanted a deal.
“So in a sense both sides need a deal, but they’re having a very hard time figuring it out,” he said, adding that there was deep mistrust between U.S. and Iranian negotiators, with both sides having legitimate reasons to be wary.
Calling the recent US and Israeli strikes the “most devastating blow” to Iran’s military, its nuclear program and its basic command and control system since 1979, he said the country’s economy was also in extremely poor shape, with growing public discontent.
Zakaria, who also hosts CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS”, praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts. “Frankly, Pakistan’s mediation was very positive and very useful because you need a facilitator when you have so much accumulated mistrust.”
He also warned that miscalculations could derail the process and push the situation towards violence.
Calling the confrontation with Iran a turning point, he said the United States did not base its military action on respect for an international order or a rules-based system. He added that this approach reflected the feeling among a section of the American public that the country had carried the burden of maintaining global order for too long and should instead act in a more self-serving, short-term and transactional manner.
“One thing to remember with Trump is that he is currently the most unpopular president in American history, more unpopular than Richard Nixon was when he resigned after Watergate,” he said, adding that Trump still retained substantial support from about 35 percent of the population who strongly believe in his approach.
Regarding Pakistan’s role, Zakaria once again praised its mediation efforts, while emphasizing the importance of domestic development. He said Pakistan needs to improve the lives of its people to ensure sustainable growth, calling it the most important source of strength.
“The true path to maintaining power and influence on the global stage is through economic growth and technological progress. You need to have weight on the global stage to have a voice,” he concluded.
