Reaction of key US journalists after Trump’s speech

LAHORE: Some leading American journalists and legislators were quick to react to President Trump’s address to the nation for the first time after Iran's missile attack on US troops in Iraq.

Here follow their brief comments and analysis:

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Jim Inhofe, had viewed: “I hope the Iranian regime has learned a lesson. I applaud the President for de-escalating the situation and putting us back on the path of diplomacy. Now is the time to work with our partners in the region and in Europe on a more comprehensive approach towards de-escalation." Philip James Rucker (a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and the White House Bureau Chief at The Washington Post):

“Trump took the off ramp he was looking for, at least temporarily, and made clear to Iran's leaders and citizens that he does not want to use military force. Notably, he asked for more engagement from Nato allies in the Middle East, despite his long-simmering criticisms of NATO.”

Jordyn Phelps (ABC News White House reporter): “The president claims Iran is standing down. But as his speech today makes clear, so is the president. This amounts to an attempt to de-escalate.”

Maggie Haberman (an American journalist. She is a White House correspondent for The New York Times and a political analyst for CNN):

“The president’s words so far comport with reporting from me, Jonathan Swan and others last night - POTUS wanted an off-ramp from an escalating conflict. Iran gave him a face-saving way with missiles that caused no casualties.”

Zack Beauchamp (a senior correspondent at Vox, where he covers global politics and ideology):

“So it's good this speech isn't announcing new escalation, but it's also analytically wrong, riddled with factual errors, and in parts just deeply strange.”

Earlier, the “BBC News” had asserted: “There are fears the escalation of the conflict between the US and Iran could disrupt shipping in the world's busiest sea route for oil, the Strait of Hormuz. Around a fifth of global oil supply passes through the strait which connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea. The Strait of Hormuz is vital for the main oil exporters in the Gulf region - Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait - whose economies are built around oil and gas production. Iran also relies heavily on this route for its oil exports. Qatar, the world's biggest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), exports nearly all its gas through the strait.”

Meanwhile, the “CNN” had revealed Wednesday night: “The US and Iran have exchanged recent messages via Swiss diplomatic channel, according to the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a source familiar with the channel. The Swiss statement implied that both sides were involved in the message sending, though it does not detail which country triggered the messaging or if the conversation is ongoing. The source did not specify how recent messages were exchanged. This diplomatic channel is always available and used regularly for consular issues, and it was relied on heavily during the prisoner exchange late last year. But in a crisis situation, the use of the channel is much more noteworthy, explained a source familiar with the channel.”

Here is the statement, from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

“Switzerland is deeply concerned about the heavy tensions between the US and Iran and the latest cycle of violent confrontations in Iraq. We call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation. Switzerland stands ready to support initiatives of the international community that seek de-escalation in the region.

The diplomatic communication channel between the US and Iran that is provided by Switzerland in the framework of the protective power mandate continues to operate. Switzerland confirms that several messages were transmitted through this channel.”

The “CNN” had also quoted an eminent American media tycoon and former Mayor of New York, Mike Bloomberg, as saying: “An emergency phone” line should be installed so that Iranian and American officials can easily get in touch, like the red teletype hotline that connected the Pentagon with the Kremlin after the Cuban missile crisis. This, he hopes, could avoid misunderstandings that might lead to full-scale war.”