"The Secretary of Defense will come see you in a moment." Leaving aside what Tony Stark might think upon seeing an old friend suddenly start a war, Maria Hill's parting words before she left for the Pentagon were enough to give him a headache. "As long as you agree to join the war and get every Avenger to sign the Sokovia Accords, the White House will do what it should. Don't miss this opportunity, Stark. This is your only chance to unite every member of the Avengers."
Tony Stark did not think he could guarantee that every Avenger would sign the Sokovia Accords. He needed to slowly persuade the others to accept his ideas. Especially Steve Rogers—even if Thor were still on Earth, the Asgardian prince would not have much of an opinion. The person Tony Stark was most concerned about was still Steve Rogers. He was a man of noble character, and Steve Rogers would find it difficult to agree to become a soldier who once again lived by following orders without thinking. Tony Stark knew very well that Steve Rogers opposed every war the United States had launched after World War II. Moreover, Stark had seen Steve Rogers' bookshelf more than once. He understood that the Captain America of old no longer existed. He needed to find a way to persuade him to accept the accords.
The incident had erupted too suddenly. Before the other Avengers even knew about it, he had no choice but to agree to the conditions set by the Secretary of Defense and Congress. Tony Stark did not believe he had any other path to take. However, the people who came to see him included not only Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, but also an old acquaintance he did not get along with particularly