After Iran hangs up, Trump says relax, everything will be resolved

TOI reporter in Washington: Just hours after US President Donald Trump assured Americans that Iran “does want a deal” and urged “passive” critics to “sit back and relax (because) everything will work out in the end”, developments in the Middle East have gone in the opposite direction.The three-month conflict returned to open warfare on Monday, with both sides reporting new military strikes, Tehran suspending communications with Washington and oil markets alarmed by the prospect of another diplomatic breakdown. The immediate trigger was Iran’s decision to cease indirect communications with the United States through mediators, blaming it on Israel’s ongoing military operations in Lebanon. Iranian officials argue that the ceasefire in Lebanon is part of a broader understanding to end the conflict and accuse Washington of being unable or unwilling to rein in its closest Middle Eastern ally. “The ceasefire between Iran and the United States is undoubtedly a ceasefire in all aspects, including in Lebanon. Its violation in one aspect is a violation of the ceasefire in all aspects. The United States and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. The current temporary ceasefire in the Gulf appears to be unraveling. The United States said it carried out attacks on Iranian military facilities after Tehran allegedly targeted American assets and shot down an American drone. Iran, meanwhile, has claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. military installations in the Gulf, including a reported attack on a U.S. base in Kuwait. The result is a familiar but increasingly dangerous pattern: diplomacy by day, missiles by night. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei accused Washington of sending conflicting signals, saying the United States was talking about negotiations while continuing military action and supporting Israeli actions in Lebanon. He said the inconsistency was either a negotiating tactic or evidence of confusion within the government. The criticism has embarrassed Trump, who has insisted in recent days that a breakthrough is within reach and imminent. “Iran really wants to make a deal, and that would be a good thing for America and those who stand with us. But DU Democrats and various seemingly unpatriotic Republicans don’t understand that it’s much harder for me to do my job properly and negotiate when political hacks are constantly ‘complaining’ over and over again with unprecedented negative chirps.Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Just sit back and relax and everything will work out in the end – it always does!” he added. Yet markets and other countries are less relaxed than the U.S. president. Oil prices rose sharply on reports that Tehran has suspended communications with Washington and is discussing options that could include putting new pressure on shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. This is important beyond the Middle East, including the United States.Rising oil prices are starting to impact global transportation costs, manufacturing expenses and natural gas prices. Even for Americans who vote on concerns about affordability and inflation, rising fuel costs threaten to become an increasingly sensitive political issue. The conflict is also causing anxiety in Asia and Europe, where economies remain far more dependent on Middle Eastern energy supplies than the United States.What is striking is the increasingly isolated appetite for confrontation in Washington and Jerusalem. Across Europe, Asia and the Gulf, governments are pressing for a de-escalation of tensions, with a notable example being Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, emphasizing that “de-escalation is achieved through dialogue” and not blaming Iran for the impasse. Japan’s intervention reflects broader international sentiment. While few governments are sympathetic to Iran’s regional activities, let alone its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, even fewer have shown enthusiasm for an endless U.S.-Iran war that threatens global commerce, energy markets and economic growth.