Former U.S. diplomat Joey Hood said the escalating U.S. pressure on Iran could come at an economic cost, especially during the peak winter heating fuel season, with increased uncertainty in market supply if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted. Hood also responded to comments from Iranian parliamentary speaker Hassan Gashgavi, who stated Tehran remains committed to fulfilling the memorandum of understanding while accusing Washington of attempting to escalate the situation. Hood said this reminded him of a saying by the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu: "When you surround an enemy, you must leave him an escape route, otherwise he will fight to the death until the very last moment" (i.e., "Leave an opening when besieging an army, do not press a desperate enemy"). He said, "What we lack now is precisely an escape route." Hood stated that he doesn't believe Trump currently sees such a way out. "Trump certainly doesn't know what an exit strategy is, but I believe mediators can find one," he said. "They need to come up with some innovative, bold, and unconventional solutions."
