New Delhi: At 18:32 Washington time, President Donald Trump posted on his social media website that the US and Iran were “very far along” with a “definitive” peace agreement and that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire to allow negotiations to proceed. The announcement of the agreement, mediated by Pakistan, came roughly 90 minutes before the 8pm ET deadline by which Trump pledged to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges.
Diverse political rhetoric on display
“Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump wrote in a post on Tuesday evening.
Many of Trump opponents in the US though were not so positive sounding when the ceasefire was announced, calling into account his handling of the war.
“I’m glad Trump backed off and is desperately searching for any sort of exit ramp from his ridiculous bluster,” Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said on Tuesday night, reacting to the news of a two-weak provisional ceasefire. Former Maga allies turned critics, including former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and the far-right media personality Candace Owens, denounced Trump’s threats as “evil” and “madness” as to his conduct in the war.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, continued to call for Trump’s removal even after the two-week agreement had been announced. “We cannot risk the world nor the wellbeing of our nation any longer,” she said on social media. “Whether by his Cabinet or Congress, the President must be removed from office. We are playing on the brink.” Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, called Trump’s behavior “unhinged, unpresidential and unconscionable” in a Tuesday evening interview on CNN. “The American people strongly oppose this reckless war of choice,” he said. “He’s plunged America into this war without any plan, any objective and any exit strategy.”
“Excellent news,” Senator Rick Scott of Florida said. “This is a strong first step toward holding Iran accountable and what happens when you have a leader who puts peace through strength over chaos and weak appeasement policies.”
Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the chamber’s loudest and most aggressive Iran hawks, said on Tuesday evening he shared the hope that “we can end the reign of terror of the Iranian regime through diplomacy”. He then added, “We must remember that the strait of Hormuz was attacked by Iran after the start of the war, destroying freedom of navigation. Going forward, it is imperative Iran is not rewarded for this hostile act against the world.”