‘Ceasefire is when you’re shooting more moderately': Trump defines term amid renewed Iran tensions
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday offered his own definition of a ceasefire while responding to a reporter’s question in the context of the ongoing US-Iran conflict, where both sides have continued to exchange strikes despite a fragile truce in place.
Suggesting that ceasefires in “that part of the world” often do not mean a complete halt to hostilities, Trump said they involve fighting at a lower intensity. The reporter asked the US President about his definition of ceasefire.
Trump responded, “In that part of the world, ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner”.
“It’s not bad,” Trump said, turning with a smile to a group of senior administration officials gathered behind him and drawing some laughter from the room, according to a report by ABC News.
“But it’s true. I mean, a ceasefire there is much different than a ceasefire in other parts of the world”.
Trump’s remarks came less than 24 hours after Iran attacked an airport in Kuwait, and the US claimed a “self-defence” attack on an Iranian facility in Qeshm Island, putting further strain on a fragile ceasefire and complicating already-stalled peace talks.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire later on Wednesday, according to a joint statement issued by the US, Israel and Lebanon.
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Trump’s optimistic tone on US-Iran negotiations
Speaking about the negotiations, Trump struck an optimistic note.
“I hear the negotiation itself is going very well, actually. Very well,” he said. “I mean if it happens — I mean it might not happen, you know, who knows? — but if it happens, it could happen, like, over the weekend.”
Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s main airport on Wednesday, killing one person, injuring dozens and forcing a temporary closure of the airfield, in the latest escalation between Iran and the US that has put a fragile ceasefire under renewed strain.
The attack underscored the growing risks faced by residents and travellers in Gulf countries that had long been seen as relatively safe despite the US-Israeli war with Iran. Tehran denied responsibility for the strike.
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What is happening in the US-Iran ceasefire?
Efforts to secure a more durable truce have dragged on for weeks as mediators attempt to end the conflict, now in its fourth month.
The talks have been further complicated by Israel’s expanding military campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
A regional official said Iran wanted a separate ceasefire in Lebanon to be enforced before returning to negotiations. Even as the US launched strikes on military sites on an Iranian island, President Donald Trump insisted that efforts to preserve the ceasefire with Iran were continuing.
“We’ve been hitting them pretty hard,” Trump said when asked by reporters on Wednesday if the ceasefire remains in place. “I’d say in that part of the world a ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner.”
The fighting in Lebanon has also highlighted differences between Israel and the US, with Washington pressing its ally to exercise restraint.
Reflecting those tensions, Trump acknowledged that he had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” during a phone conversation earlier this week. Despite the disagreement, both leaders have maintained that their relationship remains strong.