How Trump Went From Threatening Iran's Annihilation To Agreeing To A 2-Week Ceasefire With Tehran
- US President Donald Trump swung from annihilation threats to a surprising 14-day ceasefire with Iran
- The ceasefire talks involved China and NATO, aiming to ease tensions and avoid another long war
- Lawmakers and Pope decried Trump's threats; Democrats view the ceasefire as a strategic win for Iran
US President Donald Trump went from threatening Iran with annihilation to agreeing to a plan to halt the nearly six-week-old war within a day.
The US has agreed to a 14-day ceasefire that he expects to pave the way to end the war with Iran.
Source: Original
The AP reported that the shift came as intermediaries worked to prevent escalation of the conflict.
China also pulled strings to find a pathway toward a ceasefire, according to two officials briefed on the matter.
Trump is set to meet at the White House on April 8 with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
The emerging ceasefire and plan to reopen the strait are expected to be at the centre of talks.
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As the deadline neared, Democratic lawmakers decried Trump's threat to wipe away an entire civilisation as “a moral failure" and Pope Leo XIV warned strikes against civilian infrastructure would violate international law, calling the president’s comments “truly unacceptable.”
But in the end, Trump may have ultimately backed down because of a simple truth: Escalation could risk involving the United States in the sort of “forever war” that had bedeviled his predecessors and that he had vowed he'd keep the United States out of if voters sent him back to the White House.
As Trump boasted about U.S. and Israeli military success over the last six weeks, he appeared to be working from the premise that he could bomb Iran into capitulation.
Defense analysts largely agreed that the U.S. military could quickly take control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Persian Gulf waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of the world's oil flows on any given day.
But maintaining security over the waterway would require a high-risk, resource-intensive operation that could be a years-long American commitment.
The two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through Hormuz, a regional official said.
The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had considered the passage an international waterway and never paid tolls before.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, believes Trump effectively delivered a history-changing win for Iran.
About the Iran war
Since February 28, joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, sparked a conflict involving different countries in the Middle East.
Time reported that at least 1,300 people in Iran have died in the conflict.
Iran responded with strikes across the Middle East, targeting several countries hosting US military bases.
Along with firing missiles and drones at Israel and at American bases in the region, Iran has also been targeting energy infrastructure.
This is in addition to its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which transports 20% of the world's oil, sending oil prices soaring.
Iran targets commercial ships
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Iran had targeted commercial ships and Dubai Airport, escalating regional tensions amid global energy concerns.
Iran threatens financial institutions in the Middle East, endangering Dubai's economic stability as attacks escalate.
Airstrikes continue in Tehran and Lebanon as the UN discusses measures against Iran's aggression towards Arab nations.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Delali Adogla-Bessa (Head of Current Affairs and Politics Desk) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.
The Associated Press (The Associated Press) The Associated Press (AP) is a not-for-profit news agency. The AP operates approximately 240 news bureaus across nearly 100 countries, producing content in English, Spanish, and Arabic.
