Critics stunned as Trump immediately contradicts US official with newest declaration

Even with new military strikes against Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump is claiming that the war is drawing to a conclusion. But Trump's critics are skeptical, arguing that it is a major contradiction to claim that peace is at hand while new strikes are being carried out.

CNN, early Wednesday morning, reported, "Iran targets US bases: Iran said it launched retaliatory strikes on American bases in Jordan and Kuwait after the US military said it struck Iran in response to the downing of an Army helicopter. ... Status of negotiations: U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran will 'pay the price' for taking 'too long to negotiate a deal,' without specifying further."

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, declared, "Iran's Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn't even exist anyone."

CNN's Alayna Treene noted the contradictions, posting, on X, "POTUS weighs in this morning with tough talk for Iran, claiming their military 'doesn't even exist anymore' and that 'they've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!' This is despite the U.S. accusing Iran of downing an Apache on Monday and Tehran having the capabilities to retaliate to U.S. attacks yesterday with strikes on U.S. military targets in the Middle East."

Treene, in a separate tweet, wrote, "Meanwhile, a US official told me yesterday that the new strikes were intended as a warning shot at Iran and that the US believed Washington's retaliatory strikes on Tehran wouldn't upend negotiations to end the war."

Other X users are expressing strong skepticism over Trump's claims about the Iran war.

CNN's Aaron Blake, a former Washington Post columnist, posted, "With any normal president, this would be seen as a declaration that the ceasefire is over and the war will resume. But we can't take anything Trump says about the Iran war at face value anymore."

Journalist Chris Cillizza tweeted, "Ceasefire over?"

The Daily Beast tweeted, "The president just reignited the same conflict he insisted he was 'very close' to ending."

University of Chicago political science professor Robert A. Pape wrote, "Prepare for major escalation Trump just abandoned promises of a deal and now Threatens to make Iran 'pay the price' The real price may be Gulf oil infrastructure and a historic global energy crisis."

Conservationist/economist B. Dan Berger wrote, "Was there ever a ceasefire?"

Progressive Anne Cresswell tweeted, "Trump says Tehran will 'pay the price' as peace talks collapse. ... America and the world are paying the price for this needless and nonsensical war."

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