Trump: Iran Must Be Smarter

SadaNews - President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that Iran cannot get its affairs in order.

He added in a post on "Truth Social": "They don't know how to sign a non-nuclear deal. They need to get smarter soon."

Trump instructed his aides to prepare for a "prolonged blockade" of Iran in an attempt to force it into a "nuclear surrender" that it has long rejected, according to U.S. officials speaking to the "Wall Street Journal".

In recent meetings, including a discussion on Monday in the Situation Room with senior administration officials, Trump chose to continue pressuring the Iranian economy and oil exports through a blockade that prevents the flow of trade to and from its ports.

Officials explained that the U.S. president viewed his other options, such as resuming bombing or withdrawing from the conflict, as carrying greater risks than maintaining the blockade.

However, the continued blockade prolongs a conflict that has led to rising fuel prices globally, a decline in Trump's popularity in opinion polls, and increased bleakness for Republicans in the midterm elections scheduled for the coming months. It has also resulted in the lowest rate of vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war.

Since the ceasefire agreement on April 7, Trump has repeatedly backed away from escalating the conflict, opening the door for diplomacy after previously threatening to "destroy the entire Iranian civilization," as he put it.