The Iran problem Donald Trump created for himself

More than six weeks have passed since the U.S. and Israel announced a ceasefire in Iran. But, in public, Iran appears no more willing to give in to U.S. demands than it was at the height of the war.

Extensive U.S. and Israeli airstrikes reduced, but failed to eliminate, Iran’s regime or its military and nuclear capability. U.S. officials believe the current naval blockade needs more time if it is going to produce enough economic pressure on Iran for it to accept America’s terms to end the war.

Host Nick Schifrin asked Danielle Pletka, a distinguished senior fellow in foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, what kind of political problem President Donald Trump has created for himself.

"Donald Trump has created a problem for himself because he has limited his own options," Pletka said.

She added that Trump has been sending "such mixed signals about what he would accept that getting them to a serious point has to be very difficult."

Firas Maksad, the managing director for the Middle East and North Africa practice at Eurasia Group and an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, said the president's "flip-flopping" has far-reaching implications.

Other countries in the region "understand that they are going to be left on their own, cannot rely on America bringing a decisive victory, bringing this to a decisive end, and that, in many ways, they're going to have to deal with an emboldened Iran, at least in the short term," he said.

Compass Points from PBS News analyzes prominent international affairs topics and America’s role in a shifting world, breaking down global conflicts, rising tensions, and their implications for U.S. interests. Visit the PBS News website to watch this week's episode.

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