From "unconditional surrender" to "over": Trump's shifting Iran rhetoric

According to Axios, President Trump has declared his temporary ceasefire with Iran "over," just three weeks after describing the deal as an "unconditional surrender." Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump dismissed further negotiations, calling it "a waste of time," though he told his team they could keep talking if they chose. Axios traces how his tone shifted sharply after the memorandum was signed on June seventeenth. Early on, Trump sounded conciliatory, even praising Iranian leadership as smart. As the ceasefire unraveled, his rhetoric escalated to threats that Iran "won't have a country" if it closed the Strait of Hormuz, and warnings that the U.S. would "finish the job." The renewed friction follows Iran's fresh attacks on ships in the strait and a U.S. strike on Iranian military targets in retaliation. On Wednesday, Trump called Iran's leaders "sick" and "cuckoo," saying, as far as he's concerned, it's over. Axios notes the White House did not immediately respond to its request for comment.

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