His post on the Truth Social platform provoked reactions, with spikes against him and a particularly aggressive tone.
The US president argued that Tehran “can’t get along” and “doesn’t know how to sign a non-nuclear deal”, adding that it “better get smart soon”. The message is accompanied by the phrase “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” (“No more good boy”), which reinforces the climate of hardening his attitude.
The image accompanying the post, in which Trump is depicted holding a gun in front of a scene of explosions, also causes a special sensation.
This intervention comes at a time of heightened tension in the Middle East, with it once again at the center of the international agenda.
The rejection of the Iranian proposal
On Monday, Trump told his advisers that Iran’s three-step proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and keep nuclear talks for the final phase, the Wall Street Journal reported.
For now, Trump is comfortable with an indefinite embargo, which he wrote Tuesday on Truth Social is pushing Iran toward a “state of collapse.” A senior US official said the blockade was proving to be crushing Iran’s economy – which is struggling to store its unsold oil – and sparked a new approach from the regime to Washington.
Trump’s decision represents a new phase of the war and highlights the fact that the president, who is always looking for a quick and easily “marketable” victory, lacks a magic solution.
The Dilemma: Exit or Escalation?
The unilateral cessation of hostilities offers a quick exit from the conflict and relief to the US and world economies. But Iran’s proposal last weekend would allow Tehran to set the terms of that exit.
A resumption of hostilities, meanwhile, would further weaken a battered Iran, but it would likely react by wreaking more havoc on the Gulf’s energy infrastructure, inflating the cost of the war. The blockade shrinks the Islamic Republic’s funds but commits US forces to a longer deployment in the Middle East, with no guarantee that the regime will capitulate.
Regime Endurance and “Maximum Power”
“Iran calculates that its ability to withstand and circumvent the blockade outweighs the American interest in preventing a wider energy crisis and possibly a global recession,” said Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert. “A regime that massacred its own citizens to silence protests in January is fully prepared to impose economic hardship on them now.”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the US had met the military objectives of Operation Epic Fury and that “thanks to the successful blockade of Iranian ports, the United States has maximum leverage against the regime.”
Internal disputes in Washington
The lack of a clear path forward is leading some US officials to say that the conflict will likely not end with either a nuclear deal or a resumption of war. Trump receives conflicting advice: Sen. Lindsey Graham calls for sustained pressure, while business leaders worry that the closed Hormuz will be a political “death knell” ahead of the November election.
Officials say Trump is not yet willing to drop his demand that Iran suspend its nuclear enrichment for 20 years. “Why accept the Iran deal while you’re still waiting to see if you can cause serious economic problems through the embargo?” commented Eric Brewer, a former US intelligence analyst.
The role of hardliners
Despite hopes for talks in Pakistan, negotiations have stalled. On Monday, Iran requested time for consultations with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Mediators remain skeptical, however, as both sides believe time is on their side.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted another difficulty: the internal power struggle in Iran. “The hardliners have absolute power. Our negotiators don’t just negotiate with Iranians; those Iranians then have to negotiate with other Iranians to find what they can agree on.”
