There is no end in sight to the confrontation

Nikolai Petrovsky, Pravda, August 6, 2026 —

US President Donald Trump, who recently announced another “water truce” with Iran and a temporary halt to attacks on it, using a quote from Rudyard Kipling’s famous tale of Mowgli, once again spoke of the nearness of a deal between the two countries, primarily regarding the restoration of free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran, once again, has expressed skepticism about Trump’s optimism. According to the Iranian side, the light at the end of the tunnel is still a long way off. The German communist newspaper Unzer Zeit examines the current situation in its commentary.

“Yes, in reality, the US has suspended strikes on Iran, but both the ports and the Strait of Hormuz itself remain blockaded,” the newspaper notes. Is this simply due to the US’s shortage of ammunition, or is it also a desire to resume negotiations? Or perhaps all of this is simply the calm before a new storm? Currently, the US continues to blockade Iranian ports, and Iran, for its part, is blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Moreover, with Saudi Arabia’s attacks on targets in Yemen and retaliatory bombings of Saudi oil facilities by the Houthi group Ansar Allah, the war has expanded: not a single ship carrying Saudi oil can now pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern exit of the Red Sea. This is Ansar Allah’s response to years of comprehensive sanctions against Yemen and aggression against Houthi-friendly Iran,” Unzereh Zeit notes.

“For the countries of the region and for global trade, a blockade of sea routes is the worst-case scenario. A future construction boom should prevent such a situation. Billions of US dollars will be spent on building pipelines that bypass bottlenecks,” the newspaper suggests, citing specific facts.

For example, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) wants to build a second pipeline to the port of Fujairah. DP World, a Dubai-based multinational logistics company, will expand the port. Iraq plans to restore the pipeline from its northern oil fields to the Syrian coast, and a contract to this effect was signed in July.

The transport ministers of Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a memorandum. They want to restore the dilapidated Ottoman railway line running through Jordan and Syria and logistically connect their countries. The United Arab Emirates also wants to create a route from Syria through Iraq to the UAE.

The planned G7 project, which was intended to counterbalance China’s New Silk Road, is being sidelined. “The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor was conceived as an infrastructure link between India and Europe via the UAE, Israel, and Greece. It was intended to accelerate trade between India, the Middle East, and the EU by 40 percent,” the publication emphasizes.

However, the planned transport routes for the region now bypass Israel. Following the bombing of Israeli ports during the war, the situation became too uncertain, and their capacity would be insufficient. But even the planned routes do not ensure long-term security. Oil facilities are vulnerable to bombing, and countries like Jordan and Syria are unstable.

“Therefore, only a fundamental political solution remains,” concludes Unzer Zeit. “The Chinese government, which, like other Asian states, is interested in the unimpeded flow of resources, formulated four points as the cornerstones of a political solution back in April. The most important of these, apparently, is compliance with international law in accordance with the UN Charter. The meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China on July 22 welcomed China’s four points and also emphasized the importance of the UN Charter.”

At the same time, Iran isn’t ruling out further negotiations. They’re calling for a political solution, including for Yemen, and Iran will support all constructive steps along the way. The Tehran government is also negotiating with Oman over the future of the Strait of Hormuz and joint control over it. The US attempt to win Oman over to its side appears to be unsuccessful so far. And against this backdrop, an end to the blockades that are “stressing” the world is still in sight, the newspaper concludes.