New Delhi, April 30 (ANI) — Foreign affairs expert Waiel Awwad said Thursday that US President Donald Trump’s self-portrayal as a peacemaker is at odds with his administration’s conduct in several international crises.
Speaking to ANI, Awwad pointed to US actions and policies involving Venezuela, Iran and the Ukraine-Russia war as evidence that the president’s rhetoric does not match outcomes on the ground. He said these policies have resulted in significant loss of life and heightened instability.
“While he presents himself as a man of peace who opposes the regime-change policies of his predecessors, his actions since taking office tell a different story,” Awwad said. He noted incidents in Venezuela, two attacks on Iranian targets and ongoing conflict in Ukraine as examples. Awwad added that if the president were serious about ending these conflicts, Washington should use its influence to bring all parties to the negotiating table. He criticized Trump’s framing of peace, saying it is shaped by an ‘America First’ and MAGA mindset that struggles to accommodate a multipolar world.
On the Iran standoff and the Strait of Hormuz, Awwad outlined three options he says the president and his defense advisers have discussed. The first would be to lift hostilities and any blockade, prompting reciprocal de-escalation by Iran and a move toward a permanent end to the conflict. The second would be a sustained campaign of strikes on Iranian infrastructure — including civilian targets, in Awwad’s account — intended to inflict enough pain to force Tehran to the negotiating table. The third, and the option Awwad says Trump presently favors, is to continue a blockade of Iranian shipping outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Awwad warned that the blockade option is unlikely to succeed and carries high escalation risk. “Iran has warned that if the blockade continues, there will be no chance of maintaining the current state of affairs,” he said, adding that persistent blockade actions increase the likelihood of Iranian military retaliation and a broader confrontation. He also suggested that the president may be receiving poor advice from some advisors, which is exacerbating the crisis.
Awwad emphasized the diplomatic importance of recent talks between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He said the call was crucial because India has substantial commercial and energy interests tied to safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid an ongoing energy crunch.
“India needs to ensure its ships can transit the Strait, so continued dialogue with Iran is essential to navigate these challenges,” Awwad said.
Separately, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday warned against foreign powers imposing their will in the Persian Gulf, a remark widely read as directed at the United States amid the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. (ANI)
(This report is based on a syndicated feed and is published as received.)
