Whether such a jaw-dropping threat from an American president pressured Iran to agree to the kind of ceasefire they had previously rejected is uncertain. And even if the two-week ceasefire does result in a permanent peace, the Iran war – and Trump's recent words – may have fundamentally altered the way the rest of the world views the US. Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, usually a Trump loyalist, said it would be a "huge mistake" if Trump followed through with his bombing campaign. In his Truth Social post announcing the ceasefire, Trump said that the US had "met and exceeded" all its military objectives. The long-term cost of the president's words and actions, and of the war overall, has yet to be fully assessed.

Source: The Star April 08, 2026 14:44 UTC