It is disgraceful and a pity that US President Donald Trump has resorted to using expletives directed at Iran that no civilized person, not to speak of the head of state of the world’s mightiest country, should ever do. His abuses came when diplomats of several countries are desperately trying to work out a peace plan that may end the war between the US-Israel combine and Iran.
This war is devastating both the Middle East and the global economy. Trump’s ranting couched in blatantly bad and uncouth language not only lowers the dignity of his office and the prestige of his country but also tends to show he has lost his mental balance following his scandalous failure to bring Iran to heels and getting, instead, a fitting unexpectedly rough rebuff from Tehran. His war-mongering, vainglory and the intemperate language of his secretary of war Pete Hegseth has also brought ignominy to America.
The world as much as top politicians of his own country were shocked when Trump issued an abusive, expletive-laden threat to Iran calling on the regime to “open the fuckin’ Strait (of Hormuz), you crazy bastards,” or else he would further attack the country’s energy and transport infrastructure. People across the world as also reasonable US politicians reacted with alarm and questioned the US President’s mental state.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded by asserting that Trump’s threats could amount to war crimes and cited provisions of international law that could be breached. Ro Khanna, US Democratic representative, echoed the sentiments of several politicians belonging to both the Republican and Democratic parties when he said Trump was cursing out and threatening war crimes because he is “failing” US troops in Iran who remain under fire despite the President’s claim of having destroyed Iran’s military capabilities.
On the other hand, a significant development is the reported efforts of a group of regional mediators, led by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey which is trying to thrash out the terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war. This last-ditch effort appears to be the only chance to prevent a possible dramatic escalation in the war that could include massive strikes on Iranian civic infrastructure and an obvious retaliation by Iran against energy and water facilities in the predominantly US supporting Gulf countries, including Israel.
There is no doubt that Trump is at his wit’s end since he talks about destroying Iran and finding a peaceful settlement in the same breath. His 10-day deadline to Iran was to expire in the evening of 6 April, but the previous day he had extended it by 20 hours posting the new deadline on his Truth Social as “Tuesday (7 April) at 8 pm ET.” Also, he told the media the US was “in deep negotiations” with Iran and that a deal can be reached before his latest deadline expires. “There is a good chance, but if they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there,” he said.
Interestingly, Iran denies any ongoing parleys with the US or Israel or any other third party. Negotiations taking place through Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators and also through text messages sent between Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi do not seem to reach any conclusive wrapping up. According to reports, the Trump administration gave Iran several proposals in recent days, but so far Iranian officials have not accepted them. Rather, when Trump threatens and abuses to ‘open the fuckin’ Strait’, Iranian military sources jokingly claim they ‘have lost the key’. The mediators are learnt to be discussing with the parties the terms for a two-phased deal.
The first phase would be a potential 45-day ceasefire during which a permanent end to the war would be negotiated. The negotiators want the ceasefire to be extended if more time were needed for talks. The second phase would be an agreement on ending the war. Fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a solution for Iran’s highly enriched Uranium — either through its removal from the country or dilution — could only be a result of a final deal.
Iran currently is enjoying having a visible edge over the US and it is difficult to imagine why that country will be willing to accept such conditions. It could be that Trump’s ego has been so badly damaged by Iran’s resilience and fight-back that he could not take it any longer even when negotiations were being held on a war footing.
Iran is also sitting pretty as its strategy of launching its seemingly endless barrage of missiles and drones at its foes – the Gulf states and Israel – and simultaneous attacks on US facilities installed in friendly Gulf countries have been paying off, though it has itself suffered massive damage. It appears the Iranian leadership had made such preparations for the past few decades for which it did not show any signs of nervousness.
If Trump is looking for an honourable exit, he needs to swallow his false pride and stop behaving like an international bully. For one thing, his calculation that he could do to Iran what he had done to some other countries as a big bully has gone horribly wrong. Not every country is Ukraine or India. He needs to calm down, learn to respect others and stop underestimating nations that are far inferior to his country in terms of possessing a vast weaponry and military wherewithal but far superior in self-esteem and resilience.