As noted by the NYT, for several weeks Trump has been alternately talking about negotiating, bombing and blocking Iran, sometimes even in the same day. He even suggested several times that the war was over – recalled the daily, which analyzed the US president's statements about the war with Iran that started on February 28.
The newspaper concluded that there is often a “large discrepancy” between the actual situation and the president's declarations that the conflict is coming to an end. Trump repeatedly threatened to use major force against Iran, but ultimately refrained from doing so. In many cases, he also talked about major diplomatic progress, but these declarations later turned out to be groundless. This fueled the voices of critics who accused him of trying to calm the markets and reduce political pressure.
Donald Trump and the consequences of his statements
One of the first times Trump's statement had a major impact on markets occurred on March 23, when he ordered the Pentagon to postpone attacks on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days. This resulted in increased optimism among investors.
Then, on March 30, when Trump posted on his own social media platform, Truth Social, in which he threatened to “destroy” Iran's energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened immediately, the stock market fell to its lowest level of the year. The next day, Trump announced that the Americans would withdraw “soon”, which in turn strengthened the ratings.
On April 7, Trump announced the destruction of Iranian “civilization”, and in the evening of the same day he announced a ceasefire negotiated with the participation of Pakistan.
After the first round of negotiations with Iran ended in failure, Trump announced a blockade of Iranian ports to cut off Tehran from oil exports. Iran, in turn, stated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed as long as the American blockade continues.
Donald Trump changes his mind every few days
In late April, Trump agreed to an indefinite extension of the ceasefire and announced that U.S. representatives would return to Pakistan for further talks. A few days later, he canceled those talks.
The following week, on April 28, gasoline prices reached their highest level in four years. According to “NYT”, this is a signal that markets have begun to react less strongly to Trump's optimistic statements.
In early May, Trump again spoke several times about diplomatic progress. But when Iran sent him a letter on May 10 reiterating its tough stance without making any new concessions, Trump dismissed it and called it “garbage.”
Last weekend, the US president said that the United States was close to a peace agreement with Iran. However, he later suggested that it might take some time and that he was in no rush to conclude a deal. The agreement has not been finalized or signed yet.
On Monday, the US Central Command announced that it had carried out strikes “in self-defense” in southern Iran. Iranian missile launch sites and minelayers were attacked. As of Tuesday, negotiations are ongoing.
