Trump weighs Iran ceasefire decision after Netanyahu meeting, Reuters Ipsos poll finds most Americans say war goals unclear, diplomacy runs through mediators while threats and executions continue

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independent.co.uk

Donald Trump is weighing a ceasefire decision in the Iran war after a planned meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to The Independent. The same report cites a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing 69% of Americans say Trump has not clearly explained the goals of the US military involvement, with support for the war down to about one in three.

Diplomacy is now being described in terms of intermediaries and messages rather than direct talks. The Independent reports that mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Qatar discussed a proposal focused on disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran denies direct negotiations with Washington and says it is only receiving messages via mediators. Trump, for his part, is quoted describing “very friendly negotiations” during what the paper calls a pause in military action, while warning that “strong military action” would resume if talks fail.

The public case for the campaign has shifted over time. The Independent notes Trump has offered varying rationales, including preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, weakening its missile program and encouraging regime change. The poll’s numbers suggest that, five months into the conflict, the administration’s ability to keep domestic backing is being tested not only by casualties or prices but by the absence of a stable statement of purpose that can survive the next news cycle.

The conflict’s spillover is also being managed through security services and symbolic messaging. The Independent reports a video titled “Where to kill Melania” was posted and shared by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, which it describes as associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, featuring a mock-up of the First Lady’s motorcade in New York and ending with a threat against Barron Trump. The US Secret Service is said to be aware of the video and investigating.

Inside Iran, the state is still using the war period to settle internal accounts. The Independent reports that Iran executed two men sentenced to death for their roles in protests in Isfahan during nationwide unrest in January.

A ceasefire decision is being framed around a single meeting in Washington, but the latest polling suggests most Americans are still waiting to hear what, exactly, the war is meant to achieve.