Tangent
Before ending his second post, Trump signed off with the phrase “praise be to Allah”—repeating an odd remark he made in an infamous, explicit threat on Easter Sunday. In the same message, Trump demanded the Iranians “open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell”—referring to the same waterway the U.S. is now blockading.
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News Peg
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Trump again demanded Iran sign a peace deal on his terms. “They should sign their deal, it’s a good deal. It doesn’t give them a right to have a nuclear weapon. In fact, it totally prohibits them from ever having a nuclear weapon. And it’s just, tap, tap, tap, I don’t know what they’re doing,” Trump said. “I gave them a break at the request of Pakistan.”
Crucial Quote
Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said his country would “re-assess” their ability to proceed with diplomacy with the United States after the U.S. strikes, Reuters reported citing televised remarks. “Any diplomatic process requires a minimum stable environment,” Baghaei said.
Key Background
The U.S. and Iran have been working on negotiating a peace deal for about two months after a tense ceasefire was declared in April. The president has insisted Iran was close to signing a deal at multiple points over the last few weeks, and even argued that the conflict was “terminated” in May in order to sidestep obtaining Congressional authority to continue conducting the war.
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