Yet another Trumpian turn comes when in Italy it is the late evening of April 21st, close to the expiration of the truce with Iran. The American president extends the ceasefire essentially indefinitely. He announces it on Truth, with a post with unusually calm tones. Therefore, no resumption of fighting, despite the exact opposite threat until a few hours earlier. In Tehran, however, the “hawks” are holding back and fear it is just a strategy. We understand what happened in the last few hours.
The announcement
Trump on Truth announced the extension of the truce with Iran. The tone of previous posts – with the re-enactment of past conflicts and the threat of “many bombs” without an agreement – seem forgotten. With a very composed message, without invective or threats, Donald Trump explained: “We welcome the request of Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan to suspend our attack against Iran until its leaders and representatives are able to formulate a unified proposal.”
However, Trump also gave the order to the “armed forces to maintain the blockade (naval, ed) and, in every other respect, to remain ready and operational”.
Only at the beginning of the month Trump had threatened the extinction of “an entire civilization”, that of Iran. The sudden alternation between talk of war and peace has become the hallmark of Trump’s approach to the conflict. Pakistan’s request to suspend the attack and extend the truce has offered it a way out, at least temporarily, from a conflict it wants to put an end to at all costs, given the high political price it is paying at home.
The reactions
There are those who don’t believe Trump. “The defeated side cannot dictate conditions. The continuation of the siege is no different from a bombing and must be countered with a military response,” says Mahdi Mohammadi, advisor to Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf, saying that Trump’s extension of the ceasefire “means nothing.” And he reiterates: “The extension is certainly a ploy to gain time in view of a surprise attack. The time has come for Iran to take the initiative.”
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomes US President Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire in Iran. “This is an important step towards de-escalation and creating a crucial space for diplomacy and trust-building between Iran and the United States,” Guterres underlines in an official statement.
“I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire, in order to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to continue their course,” wrote Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a social media post. Sharif says Pakistan will continue its efforts for a negotiated solution, adding: “I sincerely hope that both sides continue to respect the ceasefire and are able to conclude a comprehensive ‘peace agreement’ during the second round of talks expected in Islamabad to permanently end the conflict.”