CNN: Trump fears the end of ceasefire
Tehran - BORNA - CNN reported in an analysis that the Donald Trump administration has repeatedly adopted contradictory positions in recent weeks regarding tensions with Iran while simultaneously trying to maintain a fragile ceasefire; an approach that indicates Washington's concern over the political, economic, and military costs of returning to a widespread war.
According to CNN, American officials are deeply concerned about the collapse of the ceasefire, which can be understood from their reaction to Iran's response to their provocative actions in the Strait of Hormuz. In this regard, the U.S. Department of Defense announced last week that some of Iran's responses and actions, including targeting intruding U.S. ships in the Strait of Hormuz, did not reach a level to be considered a violation of the ceasefire.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also claimed that these incidents were essentially not part of the war and described the alleged interventionist "vessel protection" mission in the Strait of Hormuz as a separate mission. According to CNN, these positions show that American officials are trying to show the ceasefire is still in place, even in conditions where an exchange of fire has occurred.
The report also refers to Trump's decision to end the so-called "Project Freedom" operation; a hostile plan that was canceled only hours after senior administration officials' apparent "defense" of the operation's "importance"!
CNN writes that Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Iran in recent weeks, but after each deadline passed, he retreated from his previous threats. According to this media outlet, between March 21 and April 21 alone, Trump extended the deadline for an agreement with Iran at least five times.
The analysis further states that at times, Trump spoke about the proximity of an agreement as if he wanted to turn his fantasies into reality simply by repeating the claims. In mid-April, he even claimed that Iran had agreed to "everything," but this claim was never realized, and subsequent evidence showed that the two sides still have deep differences. On Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that the U.S. has unreasonable demands and emphasized: "In response to the U.S. proposed plan, we demanded our legitimate rights."
According to CNN, these behaviors have conveyed the message to Iran that Trump fears a return to full-scale war; because such a war could lead to an increase in fuel prices, the erosion of U.S. weapons stockpiles, and the possibility of American personnel being killed.
This American media outlet emphasizes that the ceasefire which began on April 7, rather than being a groundwork for an agreement, has merely created an opportunity for a temporary halt to the war; a situation that, according to CNN, has ended in Iran's favor, as Tehran has shown it has the readiness and capability to enter a long-term conflict.
On Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized regarding Tehran's latest response to the American proposals: "What we raised in our proposed text were reasonable and responsible demands as well as generous proposals; a matter that was for the good, stability, and security of the region. Of course, we regret that the American side still insists on its one-sided view and unreasonable demands based on mindsets fabricated by the Zionist regime."
The spokesperson of the diplomatic apparatus also said in response to a question regarding the irresponsible remarks of American officials: "Iran is a responsible actor in the region; we are not bullies, but we are bully-fighters (gholdor-setiz)."
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