Get the latest news and updates from Dawn
During his first year back in office, United States President Donald Trump’s blustery negotiating style won him concessions from countries on issues ranging from tariffs to armed conflict.
But with Iran, that same brand of coercive diplomacy, marked by public threats, insults and ultimatums, seems to have hit a wall and may be undermining his own efforts to end a war that has shaken the global economy.
With the two sides deadlocked, Trump has signalled growing frustration over the 11-week-old crisis but has shown little inclination to soften his harsh diplomatic approach toward Iran’s leaders.
That does not bode well for a quick negotiated settlement, fueling fears that the current standoff — and its unprecedented shock to world energy supplies — could drag on indefinitely with periodic bouts of brinkmanship.
