On the eve of US-Iran peace discussions scheduled to take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, President Donald Trump struck a characteristically combative tone. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that Iran has “no cards” to play beyond its “short-term extortion” of the world through control of international waterways.
“The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!” Trump wrote — a statement that, while aimed at projecting strength, risks inflaming an already volatile situation. In a separate message, Trump accused Iran of being better at manipulating the media than at actual negotiation.
The rhetoric arrives at a precarious moment. While Trump himself acknowledged that parties “that had been facing each other in a war had now agreed to resolve their issues through dialogue,” multiple complicating factors threaten to derail any progress.
