President Donald Trump made headlines—and waves—on Tuesday morning when he bluntly expressed his frustration with both Iran and Israel during an impromptu press conference on the White House lawn. Moments before departing for the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump criticized both nations for violating the terms of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that had gone into effect less than 12 hours prior.
A Ceasefire, Then Missiles
The ceasefire was announced Monday night following a 12-day exchange of missile fire between Israel and Iran. The deal, secured through backchannel diplomacy led by Qatar’s Prime Minister and endorsed by Trump, was aimed at halting the conflict before it escalated further. Both sides had reportedly agreed to stand down.
But early Tuesday morning, Israel launched a round of strikes on Iranian positions, prompting Iranian forces to retaliate by firing two missiles toward Israel. The exchange broke the terms of the ceasefire almost immediately, putting the region—and U.S. diplomacy—back on edge.
“They Don’t Know What the F*** They’re Doing”
Speaking with reporters just after 7 a.m. ET, Trump made clear he was angry.
“I’m not happy with Israel,” he said. “You know, when I say, ‘Okay, now you have 12 hours,’ you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either, but I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning.”
Then came the headline-grabbing line:
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting for so long and so hard that they don’t know what the F*** they’re doing.”
The moment aired live on several networks, and though the audio was briefly bleeped, the raw footage quickly spread online. The comment, unscripted and visceral, revealed Trump’s exasperation with a conflict he thought he had finally contained.
Trump Takes to Truth Social
Moments after boarding Marine One, Trump turned to his social media platform, Truth Social, to address the situation directly.
“ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”
Roughly 10 minutes later, he followed with a surprising update:
“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
He ended the thread with a pointed reminder:
“IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!”
“We’ll See If I Can Stop It”
While Trump praised the initial success of the ceasefire on Monday night, Tuesday’s developments left the former president visibly irritated. Before his departure, he added:
“I’m gonna see if I can stop it.”
The remark, brief but telling, showed that even as he prepares to rally NATO allies to increase defense spending, Trump is actively monitoring the situation in the Middle East and willing to intervene diplomatically in real-time.
Israeli Response: Iran Still Launching Missiles
According to a senior Israeli official speaking with Fox News, Iran violated the ceasefire by launching two missiles after the deal had already been agreed to. “We believe they are trying to fire more in the next couple of hours,” the official said.
“Unfortunately, the Iranians have decided to continue to fire toward Israel. Now we will have to retaliate, this will happen of course,” the official added. “It could end within several hours, but they [the Iranians] need to make a decision.”
As of this writing, Israel has not confirmed whether it has fully canceled its counterattack. Trump’s Truth Social posts indicate a temporary de-escalation—but the fragility of the situation remains clear.
The Stakes of Leadership
Trump’s profanity-laced frustration was more than a rhetorical outburst. It revealed the high-stakes nature of diplomacy in the Middle East, especially when years of animosity can override even the most hard-won deals. While critics may focus on the language, the real story is the pressure Trump is under to contain a volatile situation before it erupts again—potentially dragging the United States into another prolonged regional conflict.
By stepping in personally—both through direct statements and online interventions—Trump has, for now, reasserted American influence and calmed immediate tensions. But as Israeli and Iranian leaders weigh their next moves, the world waits to see if the ceasefire holds.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.
JIMMY
Find more articles like this at steadfastandloyal.com
h/t: Steadfast and Loyal