https://arab.news/4nhxz
US President Donald Trump hinted on Monday that the war against Iran could end soon, saying “we’re far ahead of schedule” and joint US military operations with Israel were “very complete, pretty much.” On the same day, the Pentagon sent a different message, posting a message on social media saying “no mercy” and “we have only just begun to fight.”
If the Trump administration’s messaging on the Iran war sounds confusing, it is important to keep in mind: this is the point. The mixed messages are intentional, not just the product of incompetence. A key part of Trumpian strategic communications is to leave everyone guessing — the entire world, friend and foe alike — to gain leverage by knocking everyone off balance.
The method to this madness fits with the template the Trump team deployed in the weeks before the war, when it offered a wide range of rationales for war — from regime change to protecting the Iranian people to ending the country’s nuclear program and ballistic missile threat.
US presidents typically seek to build national consensus to unify the country during war, but that is not how Trump operates
