Twelve hours before his ultimatum expires, Trump says he is having "productive talks" with Iran [United States–Iran war]

U.S. President Donald John Trump has ordered a halt to strikes in order to pursue talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran, pushing the United States–Iran war in the Middle East into a new phase. His move is being interpreted as a positive assessment of back-channel negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran that had been proceeding separately from his "48‐hour ultimatum." Attention is now focused on whether the conflict, which had raised fears of escalation including the possible formation of a 22‐nation multinational coalition led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), can find a new breakthrough.
■ Trump: "We are negotiating with Iran"
On the 23rd (local time), President Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, "The United States of America (U.S.) and the Islamic Republic of Iran have had very fine and productive discussions over the last two days aimed at completely and fully ending hostilities in the Middle East." He continued, "Based on the tone and nature of the in‐depth and constructive talks that will continue throughout this week, I have directed the U.S. Department of Defense to delay for five days all military strikes against Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure." He stressed that the suspension of strikes is "contingent on the success of the ongoing talks and discussions."
His remarks came roughly 12 hours before the 48‐hour deadline he had set was due to expire at 8:44 a.m. on the 24th, Korea time, signaling a new phase in what had been a hardline standoff in the United States–Iran war. The previous day, President Trump had declared, "If Iran does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz without any threats within 48 hours from now, the United States will begin by striking its largest power plant and will devastate Iran's various power facilities." The five‐day suspension of strikes is also being read as a sign that the back‐channel talks have made progress. In fact, U.S. political outlet Axios reported on the 22nd (local time) that Washington had begun preliminary discussions in preparation for talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and noted that Egypt, the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom (UK) have been acting as go‐betweens for the two sides.
Meanwhile, after his comments became public, Iranian media openly mocked him, saying, "Trump has backed down again." Mehr News Agency claimed, "Trump backed down in the face of our warning that any attack on Iran's energy facilities would be met with an immediate and harsh response."
■ U.S. shifts its war aims, searching for an exit
As the war drags on, Washington's original objectives of toppling the Islamic Republic of Iran's theocratic regime and eliminating its remaining nuclear capabilities have become difficult to achieve in the short term. U.S. officials now appear to be quietly revising their goals toward lifting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, in order to stabilize oil prices and secure leverage for negotiations. The Associated Press (AP) commented that "Trump, having plunged into war without a clear exit, is now displaying a capricious strategy as he searches for a way out."
With oil prices and the cost of the war soaring to astronomical levels, the U.S. political establishment is becoming increasingly divided ahead of the November elections. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged Trump, saying, "We should continue (the war) for a few more weeks and seize Kharg Island, where they have all the resources to produce oil. We must allow the Iranian regime to wither on its own." By contrast, fellow Republican Senator Thom Tillis criticized the U.S. Department of Defense's request for 200 billion dollars (about 300 trillion won) in war funding, saying, "You cannot create this situation and then expect others to clean it up."
■ "Open the Strait of Hormuz"—22 countries rally
As losses snowball for the United States and its allies, they are closing ranks. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that "NATO member states and 21 other countries, including the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Japan and Australia—22 countries in total—are coming together to reopen navigation through the Strait of Hormuz." He emphasized that these countries are working out "what is needed, when it is needed and how we will do this together, and once the time is ripe, we will act to ensure the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the freedom of navigation."
This move is being seen as an effort by U.S. allies to respond to Trump's pressure, encapsulated in his remark that "without the United States, NATO is a paper tiger." Rutte also invoked the past case of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) advancing its nuclear capabilities while talks were underway, and argued that "if Iran acquires nuclear capabilities along with its missile capabilities, it will pose a direct and existential threat to the State of Israel, the region, Europe and global stability," thereby bolstering the case for preemptive military action.
km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter