After 10 days of exchanging strikes with the US over control of the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, Iran's leaders may appear to have three choices. None offer a clear route to victory.
The first is to accept much of what Washington wants: guarantee free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz by ending attacks on commercial shipping, give up or dilute Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and accept intrusive inspections by the global nuclear watchdog.
In return, Tehran would seek an end to the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, sanctions relief, and protection from further attacks.
This is probably the least costly option, but also the costliest politically.
Reopening Hormuz without securing a recognised Iranian role in managing the waterway would mean surrendering what some in Tehran increasingly see as a newly discovered deterrent, one that may now appear more effective than Iran's missiles, regional proxies, or even its nuclear programme.
For the first time, the Islamic Republic has demonstrated its ability to impose immediate costs on the global economy for an attack on its territory by its enemies.
FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwymx3eevpjo
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