President Donald Trump said on Monday that what remains of the US ceasefire with Iran is “on life support” after Tehran sent an “unacceptable” response to Washington’s offer to end the war.
The state of the months-old ceasefire is “incredibly weak,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“Right now I would call it the weakest, after reading that piece of garbage that they sent us – I haven’t even finished reading it,” Trump said.
He said, “I would say the armistice is largely on life support, where doctors come in and say, ‘Sir, your loved one’s chance of survival is about 1%.’
The testy ceasefire began on April 8 after Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s “entire civilization” if a deal is not reached. Originally its duration was set to be only two weeks, but Trump unilaterally extended it on April 21.
The ceasefire has been in a state of flux since its early days, with each side accusing the other of violating its terms.
Trump announced the ceasefire on April 7, saying the agreement was conditioned on Iran immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipping that has been virtually closed since the war began.
After traffic through the strait failed to reach pre-war levels, Trump ordered a US naval blockade of the Gulf of Oman to prevent ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports.
The ceasefire has failed to stop all attacks in the area. Just last week, Iran attacked the United Arab Emirates, fired shots across the strait between the US and Iran and the Pentagon said it targeted two Iranian-flagged oil tankers.
Trump and US officials insisted last week that the ceasefire would hold, as the administration awaits a response to Iran’s reported offer to end the war and further talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.
one in satya social post On Sunday, Trump said he had received Iran’s response.
“I don’t like this – completely unacceptable!” He has written.