Donald Trump has decided to suspend attacks on Iran to give negotiators another chance but if diplomacy fails he is “ready” for “strong military action”. The president said this in an interview with Axios.
The suspension came into effect on the night between Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July, after thirteen consecutive nights of bombing. Tehran has also stopped the retaliatory operations: the Iranian army spokesman announced it on state television. It is the third night without attacks on both sides, a de facto truce which however has not been formalized by any agreement.
“Either it will happen quickly, or it won’t happen at all”
If the new ongoing talks between Iran and the United States “are not successful”, Washington will return to “very decisive military action”. US President Donald Trump stated this in the same interview. Asked how much time he was willing to devote to diplomatic efforts, Trump responded: “Not much. Either it will happen quickly, or it won’t happen at all.”
The request of the mediators
Trump said he decided to suspend attacks on Iran last Friday because mediator countries and governments in the area asked him to give diplomacy another chance. “Everyone involved in the negotiations with Iran asked me, ‘Don’t shoot,’” said Trump, who explained that “there is nothing to gain and nothing to lose” in complying with this request.
A war entered into its fifth month
The conflict with Iran, which began with the start of combat operations on February 28, has entered its fifth month. According to the Wall Street Journalsome Trump advisers fear that the war – with rising prices, falling approval ratings and the deaths of more than a dozen US service members – is “consuming his presidency” and damaging Republican prospects ahead of the midterm elections. The president, according to the newspaper, was counting on a much shorter campaign.