Mohammad Javad Zarif, the former foreign minister of the Islamic Republic, wrote in a note in the magazine “Peyab Think Tank”: “The long-term closure of the Strait of Hormuz or short-term use of it could create a global consensus against Iran—even with China’s support.”

He warned that the continuation of unmanaged tensions gives Israel and its backers an opportunity to diminish the differences between their own goals and those of the United States.

In another part of this note, Zarif wrote: “Israel’s first policy in America is headed toward being exposed, and the countries in the region have realized that they are only considered a shield for Israel.”