Military force has got the US nowhere with Iran – here is what a realistic negotiation would look like | Christopher S Chivvis

Making a deal means the US finding a position that doesn’t threaten the Iranian regime’s survival. The alternative is a prolonged and damaging stalemate After months of war, the US has struggled mightily to compel Iran to restore stable passage through the strait of Hormuz, let alone accept Washington’s core demands – the abandonment of Iran’s nuclear programme, dismantlement of its missile forces and cancellation of its regional proxy networks. Iran’s military is badly degraded and its regime disrupted, but as of today it continues to prevent most countries from shipping oil, gas, fertiliser and helium through the strait.