"Iran is not a normal country. It is led by lunatics."
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote this on Truth Social, warning Iran that Washington would "respond much more forcefully and violently," according to Reuters on Monday (local time). The message signaled further strikes unless a swift agreement is reached.
A day earlier, the United States and Iran exchanged fire in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran attacked U.S. warships with missiles, drones and small boats, while American forces struck Iranian drone launch sites, coastal defense cruise missile bases and radar installations.
Trump dismissed the skirmish as "a light tap over something trivial," calling it an "affectionate contact." He then warned that Iran would face "a much more forceful and violent response" if it did not reach a swift agreement with the United States. On the prospects for negotiations, he said a deal "may not happen," while adding that "Iran seems to want a deal much more than I do."
Iran's state-run Press TV reported the same day that the situation on islands and in cities near the Strait of Hormuz had "returned to normal." However, Iran has accused the United States of violating a ceasefire agreement and has signaled retaliatory strikes in the Persian Gulf.
As the two countries continued clashes near the strait, the chances of negotiations have grown slim. Iran has accused the United States of breaking the ceasefire agreement and warned of retaliation in the Persian Gulf. The United States has been striking Iranian drone launch sites, coastal defense cruise missile bases and radar installations.
Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the same day, after a closed-door meeting with Trump, that the war with Iran "does not appear to be over." The remarks extended his repeated criticism of the war as reckless and unnecessary.
"President Trump claimed the Iran war is over, but that is not the reality," Lula said. "He thinks that way, and I have no intention of continuing to argue with him over that view." He added that "the invasion of Iran will cause far greater damage than President Trump imagines."
