Trump is discovering how tenuous Middle East ceasefires can be
Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent
On Monday night, Donald Trump took to his Truth Social website to tout a ceasefire that he said would lead to “love, peace and prosperity” for both Iran and Israel.
Tuesday morning, he’s discovering just how tenuous Middle East ceasefires can be.
As reports emerged of Iranian rocket launches and new explosions in Tehran well after the deadline to suspend hostilities, the American president issued an increasingly urgent series of social media posts and gave an expletive-laden warning to both nations from the South Lawn of the White House.
Trump has committed a considerable amount of domestic and international political capital to ensuring that this ceasefire holds and, ultimately, becomes a durable peace.
He put American forces at risk as he made the US an active participant in the conflict. The intense pressure the president is under is apparent in his recent comments.
As Air Force One departed Washington for the president’s trip to a Nato leaders' summit, Trump - having reportedly called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge restraint - again claimed that “the ceasefire is in effect”.
Whether that is still the case when the presidential jet lands in Europe remains to be seen.
