Abdullah Bandar Al-Etabi, assistant professor of international affairs at Qatar
University, said it is too early to judge the direction after Trump’s latest
Iran remarks. Both sides remain entrenched and Iran has not softened its stance
on the Strait of Hormuz, so the risk of broader conflict persists. Recent
developments have, however, bought diplomatic time for Iran to pursue
arrangements with regional states over the Strait and for diplomacy to restart.
