In a series of private discussions, Donald Trump has conveyed to his aides that the current ceasefire with Iran will persist, provided that there are no American casualties involved. This delicate pause in hostilities, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, hinges on this critical condition and has managed to hold since April 8, despite some intermittent missile exchanges.
The President has made it clear that while stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a non-negotiable stance, he is also keenly aware of the duration of the ongoing conflict. Notably, this skirmish, which began on February 28, has outlasted several previous confrontations.
Trump’s cautious approach towards reigniting full-scale warfare comes at a time of increasing tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a heated phone conversation earlier this week, Trump expressed his displeasure over Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, reportedly exclaiming, “Are you f***ing crazy? What are you f***ing doing?”
Amidst these diplomatic strains, Israel has intensified its military operations against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, complicating U.S. efforts to broker peace. The situation remains precarious as Israel has also issued threats to bomb Beirut, raising the stakes in this volatile region.
‘Are you f***ing crazy? What are you f***ing doing?,’ Trump fumed at Netanyahu.
Israel has escalated fighting on another front against Iran’s proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, even as the US negotiates a peace deal, and has threatened to bomb the capital, Beirut.
Iran has demanded a peace deal must also extend to Lebanon, complicating talks for the Trump administration.
While the administration has characterized recent exchanges as tit-for-tat, US officials told the Journal that they have increased doubts over the long-term possibility of a ceasefire.
Donald Trump remains adamant that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon
US Marines conduct a training exercise on USS New Orleans in February
A plume of smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Tyre, southern Lebanon, on June 1
‘In that part of the world, ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
‘It takes two to tango. We hit them very hard on something else and so they were responding,’ he added.
Trump insists he is in no rush to end the war, telling the New York Post this week that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could last until Labor Day.
That timeframe will not assuage Republican fears ahead of the midterms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on March 19
The national average gas price stands at $4.20 per gallon, up from $2.90 per gallon before the war started, while the annual inflation rate has surged to 3.8 percent, its highest since May 2023.
Trump and his top team have been working on a ‘memorandum of understanding’ (MOU) with Iran for around two weeks.
The MOU would define the initial terms of a deal and then a negotiation would follow for a 60-day period.
Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal on Friday, demanding concessions before any money changes hands.
Iran says it will only negotiate its nuclear program once its assets have been unfrozen or Washington provides some other financial benefit.
The stalemate comes as Iran struck a Kuwaiti airport used by US forces on Wednesday, killing an Indian national and wounding more than 60 people.
An American Marine fires a.50 caliber machine gun during a training drill aboard the USS New Orleans in the Philippine Sea in February
Smoke billows following an explosion in central Tehran on June 15
An American sailor on board the USS Gerald R Ford while operating in support of Operation Epic Fury in the Mediterranean in March
As the fighting spiraled, Hezbollah on Thursday rejected a fresh US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese government, with leader Naim Kassem branding it ‘Satan’s dream in heaven’ and demanding a full Israeli withdrawal.
Israel had threatened to bomb Beirut’s southern suburbs before a separate deal on Monday, under which it agreed to hold fire in exchange for Hezbollah halting attacks on northern Israel.
More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon and over 1.2 million have been displaced. The fighting has killed 27 Israeli soldiers and three civilians.
