West Asia expert Waiel Awwad has argued that recent moves by Donald Trump are unsettling financial systems worldwide, primarily due to their ripple effects on energy markets and geopolitical stability.
“What the American president is doing now is creating a curious and very jittery movement in the financial market. The global response is becoming very anxious and worried about the rise of oil and energy prices. That ramification and impact has been felt all over the world, including the United States,” he told news agency ANI in an interview.
The concern is straightforward: rising tensions in West Asia often translate into higher crude oil prices, which in turn pressure inflation, currencies, and equity markets globally.
Sign up for Open Magazine’s ad-free experience
Enjoy uninterrupted access to premium content and insights.
Is the Iran nuclear issue the real reason behind the conflict?
Awwad challenges the widely cited nuclear narrative, suggesting that uranium enrichment is not the central issue driving the conflict involving Iran.
“As for the nuclear sites being dismantled, President Donald Trump backed his stance, saying that Iran was militarily defeated and the uranium could be removed wherever they wanted it to be removed. I think President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are only addressing international public opinion and their domestic audiences because the enrichment of uranium and the Iranian nuclear issue was never really the issue. Since the last Geneva meeting, the Iranians and the Americans had agreed that Iran would stop its uranium enrichment and siphon the uranium out of Iran,” he said.
According to Awwad, the nuclear argument may be more about optics than substance, aimed at shaping public perception.
What does Iran want in return for de-escalation?
Awwad outlines what he describes as Iran’s core demands: an end to hostilities and sanctions in exchange for restoring normal maritime movement, especially through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
“Well, I think the United States President does not have his own deciding movement, as he is only depending directly on Netanyahu, his mentor, the Prime Minister of Israel. Having said that, I would say that the Iranian demand is very clear: cessation of all activities and all hostilities by the United States and by Israel against Iran and its allies, and also lifting all the sanctions against Iran. In response, Iran will open the Strait of Hormuz and will allow all ships to pass through,” he said.
The Strait is a critical global chokepoint, and any disruption there can sharply impact oil prices and global trade.
Why might the conflict continue despite negotiations?
Awwad suggests that strategic objectives, particularly from Israel’s side, may be prolonging the conflict.
“The uranium program will be dealt with in the next stage. So why is the American president in a hurry? Because he has already been told that unless and until Israel achieves its objective, this war will not stop,” he said.
He adds that Iran has already indicated flexibility on uranium enrichment under certain conditions.
“That’s exactly what the Iranians have been telling the United States: that they want an end to hostility and an international guarantee that there will not be another round of attacks after Iran accepts the conditions. Regarding the enrichment of uranium, Iran has already agreed that the enrichment will be siphoned out of the country, provided that the United States carries its own commitment to adhere to the agreement that could be reached,” he said.
What is the human and infrastructure cost of the conflict?
Awwad paints a grim picture of the situation on the ground in Iran, arguing that the scale of destruction has been significant.
“It had reached 3.65% of uranium for civilian use, which was agreed, yet the United States and Israel went to war. The pretext of nuclear issues is just an idea to deceive public opinion about what’s actually happening on the ground. The United States and Israel have destroyed Iranian infrastructure in many ways. They have destroyed more than 27,000 targets, including 100 schools and 50 academic institutions,” he said.
“With more than 15,000 civilians killed, Iran is in a dire situation. No doubt about it, but Iran will never surrender to American pressure. To speak about uranium is nothing but a farce because Iran wants to end this war completely, without leaving any chance for the United States or Israel to attack, and with an international guarantee. If the United States is serious about stopping this war, President Trump should stop getting advice from Netanyahu, whose political survival will continue only with the continuity of wars, whether in Israel against the Palestinians, in Lebanon, or in Iran,” he said.
What is Israel’s position on the war’s progress?
In contrast, Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that while progress has been made, the objectives are not yet fully achieved.
Speaking to CBS News, Netanyahu said: “I think it accomplished a great deal, but it’s not over, because there’s still nuclear material, enriched — uranium that has to be taken out of– Iran. There are still– enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that– Iran supports. There are ballistic missiles that they still– want to produce. Now, we’ve degraded a lot of it. But all that is still there, and there’s work to be done.”