What Happens if the U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire Collapses? |
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U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced an extension of the U.S.-Iran cease-fire on Tuesday, just hours after he threatened to resume bombing the country if a deal wasn’t reached before the truce was set to expire the following day. Citing Iran’s “seriously fractured” government, Trump said he would hold off attacking the country until its leaders could come up with a “unified proposal” for a peace deal. He didn’t provide a deadline.
This wasn’t the first time during the war that Trump rapidly shifted from warning Iran of impending violence and destruction to leaving the door open for diplomacy. The fact that he has repeatedly backed off such threats suggests that Trump is eager to end the conflict, which is unpopular in the United States and has caused a global energy crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced an extension of the U.S.-Iran cease-fire on Tuesday, just hours after he threatened to resume bombing the country if a deal wasn’t reached before the truce was set to expire the following day. Citing Iran’s “seriously fractured” government, Trump said he would hold off attacking the country until its leaders could come up with a “unified proposal” for a peace deal. He didn’t provide a deadline.
This wasn’t the first time during the war that Trump rapidly shifted from warning Iran of impending violence and destruction to leaving the door open for diplomacy. The fact that he has repeatedly backed off such threats suggests that Trump is eager to end the conflict, which is unpopular in the United States and has caused a global energy crisis.
But the cease-fire is still on thin ice, and it’s unclear if another round of peace talks will occur. The U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports is still in place (though some ships are reportedly getting through), and Tehran still has a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran on Wednesday fired on several vessels in the strait and seized two.
Trump’s contradictory rhetoric and actions throughout the war—and his record of taking military action against Iran amid ongoing negotiations—are also among the many reasons that a deal appears a distant possibility. Tehran, which........