The French newspaper Le Monde focused on US President Donald Trump's announcement on Sunday that he would send an American delegation to Islamabad for new talks with Tehran, which has so far refused to confirm its participation.
The newspaper wrote that Donald Trump is proceeding hesitantly, hastily, and with a showmanlike tendency. His threats against Iran are interspersed with promises of an imminent diplomatic solution, without any consistency or genuine understanding of the other side.
Forty-eight hours before the end of the two-week truce, the seizure of an Iranian cargo ship by the US Navy raised new doubts, with Tehran vowing a military response. That same morning, Trump announced that a US delegation would travel to Islamabad on Monday. For hours, it remained unclear whether Vice President J.D. Vance would lead the delegation. Trump told ABC News he would not attend for security reasons, before the White House later confirmed his participation.
For the second time, Pakistan may host high-level bilateral negotiations between the United States and Iran. However, Tehran has not confirmed its participation, stipulating that the US naval blockade of its ports must be lifted first.
Islamabad continues its efforts to bridge the gap between the two sides. Iran's absence could be seen as a humiliation by Washington, making a resumption of US and Israeli military operations highly likely—in other words, choosing war if it cannot be avoided.
It will never be known to what extent the US president believes the narratives he weaves, which are quickly refuted by reality. But his insistence on believing that his threats will bend reality to his will seems boundless. For now, these statements are infuriating Iran and deepening its distrust of Washington, a key element in the relationship between the two countries since the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018.
Iran’s absence from the negotiations could be seen as an insult to Washington, making a resumption of US and Israeli military operations highly likely – that is, choosing war if it cannot be avoided.
Donald Trump still believes that military and economic pressure will force the Iranian regime to capitulate. This Sunday, he announced that a US destroyer fired on an Iranian cargo ship that had ignored warnings for six hours in an attempt to break the naval blockade imposed on the country. The ship's engine room was hit before US forces took control. Tehran considers this an act of piracy. It also claims that the White House violated its commitment to maintain the naval blockade until negotiations concluded. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated via the X platform that "the so-called blockade of Iranian ports and coasts by the United States is not only a violation of the ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, but is also illegal and criminal."
Yet just 48 hours earlier, Trump had been celebrating what he considered an achievement: Tehran's agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. But the very next day, Saturday, two commercial vessels, one belonging to the French company CMA CGM, were fired upon by Iran. The message was clear: Iranian control of the strait is not absolute, but it has the capability to disrupt shipping.
Trump sarcastically commented on his “Truth Social” platform Sunday morning: “That wasn’t nice, was it?”, before escalating his threatening tone by saying: “We are offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they accept it, because if they don’t, the United States will destroy all of Iran’s power plants and all of its bridges. The time for kindness is over!”
Trump had previously sparked controversy on April 7 when he used genocidal rhetoric, declaring, “An entire civilization will die tonight and never come back to life.” However, he later backtracked at the last minute, accepting the principle of a ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance. Improvisation is rampant within the White House, along with a style based on either humiliating the opponent or claiming to change them by force.
On the Iranian side, internal disagreements are increasing and becoming more apparent during times of truce, between the military-security establishment and the political and diplomatic current, which is sometimes accused of neglecting the country's interests.
While weapons have the final say in times of open warfare, the current situation is more complicated: Who has the legitimacy and authority to decide whether to accept or reject the demands of the United States? asks Le Monde.
Although the Trump administration is postponing technical discussions, particularly those related to the nuclear and missile programs, Tehran is required to decide its position on a key point: highly enriched uranium. Trump is demanding that Iran hand over a stockpile estimated at about 400 kg to the United States as a victory trophy, which Iran strongly rejects, considering it part of its sovereignty, without clarifying the purpose of enriching uranium to 60%, which can only be military, according to the newspaper.
Economically, Iran is on the brink of collapse, but the regime still believes time is on its side. Meanwhile, Trump, seeking a way out of this crisis, faces rejection from the majority of the American public.
According to an NBC News poll, his approval rating stands at only 37%, compared to 63% who disapprove. His remaining core support base is comprised of the MAGA movement, with 87% of them supporting war against Iran. But the coalition that brought Trump to the White House appears, at this moment, to be unraveling.
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