Nearly three months after President Donald Trump launched an air war against Iran, the Middle Eastern nation appears to have found the best way to handle his threats and social-media-based diplomacy: ignore it. Trump was set to convene top advisers in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss a return to bombing, but he announced on Truth Social that he would postpone renewed attacks at the request of Qatari, Saudi and Emirati leaders involved in what he called “serious negotiations” towards a deal.
Trump wrote that he had instructed his military to be prepared for a “full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice” if an acceptable deal is not reached. This eleventh-hour reversal came a day after he told Axios that Iranian leaders still want an agreement and warned that Tehran would “get hit much harder” if they do not capitulate. He also cautioned that “there won’t be anything left of them” if they fail to rush through a deal.
Meanwhile, Tehran is carrying on with its efforts to inflict economic pain, having closed the Strait of Hormuz and causing a spike in global gas prices. On Monday, Iranian officials created an X account for a new “Persian Gulf Strait Authority”, described as the legal entity for managing passage through the strait. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei warned that his country is “fully prepared for every scenario” and “will not be subdued by contradictory behavior and threats” from the US, adding that armed forces will have “new surprises” for the enemy.
While Trump’s first-term threats against North Korea arguably brought a lull in provocations, Iranian leaders now see his appetite for war falling as fast as his approval rating and rising gas prices.
