President Donald Trump has announced an indefinite ceasefire with Iran until peace negotiations are concluded, hours after he said he “expected to be bombing” the country and insisted he would not extend a hard deadline for them to reach a deal.
The US leader has been mocked for adopting a “Taco” stance on several issues, an acronym that stands for Trump Always Chickens Out, in reference to his habit of backing down on strong threats of force. Pointing to a “seriously fractured leadership” in Iran, Trump said he is ready to cease hostilities until Tehran puts forward a “unified proposal” for negotiations.
Trump’s constant U-turns have often been interpreted by analysts as a means of confusing his opponent, but have prompted criticism from allies, including French president Emmanuel Macron, who said earlier this month that “you don’t have to speak every day”.
In an extraordinary rant at the height of the conflict, Mr Trump threatened to wipe the millennia-old Iranian civilisation off the map. “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” he wrote in the unprecedented post on Truth Social on 7 April. The threat sparked a global outcry with several leaders condemning the statement. Hours later, a 14-day ceasefire brokered by Pakistan was announced.
Before the latest extension of the ceasefire, Trump had indicated that he would not back down. “I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” he said on Tuesday. “But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.” He told Bloomberg that the ceasefire would end on Wednesday evening and that it is “highly unlikely that I’d extend it” if there is no agreement to end the war by the deadline.
