In the latest in the Iran War, on Thursday, July 9, 2026, U.S. forces struck several more locations in coastal Iran, according to Iranian state media.
Additionally, Tehran said it fired missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan. Sources said mediators aim to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table as the renewed fighting further erodes the Iran war ceasefire agreement.
Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director of the McCain Institute at ASU, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the diplomatic scramble.
“The problem is that the Iranians are not negotiating properly”, she said. “At this point in time president Trump does probably need to lift the blockade.”
She then explains that she believes we need to give them a sense of urgency and that the constant back and forth will never make a difference, maybe even giving Iran the upper hand. If Trump says nothing, it wil force them to come back to the negotiations and we can make a deal.
Farkas also talks about the lift on the 20% fee for shipping, and why it was lifted so soon. She explains that if the U.S. or Iran were to do these fees, it would cause the rest of the world to shut down trade in their specific route, whether that be a strait or a sea. Trump also says that there will be safe passage for trade, but only if you invest in the U.S.
“The implications for the global economy are not good”, Farkas said when talking about fees on shipping through strait. “At the end of the day, maybe the gulf states will pay something, but I don thtink other vountries will”.
Though there are a lot of issues in the global economy and a lot of conflict, Farkas does not believe any of this will stem into a world war.
“I think we are going to see some limited military source use to open up the strait of Hormuz”, She said. “If the Iranians don’t do it by themselves, we will have to use military force. This does not mean boots on the ground, there is still a lot we can do in the air”.
