This is the List of Trump's "Sins": Promises Made, Promises Broken by Himself

US President Donald Trump has once again demonstrated inconsistent rhetoric in the military conflict with Iran. Most recently, Trump had threatened a massive attack on Iran if the country did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by the deadline he set. However, just two hours before the deadline expired, Trump reversed course by announcing a two-week ceasefire. This change once again shows the pattern observed throughout the US-Iran war. Trump’s statements often sound tough and convincing upfront, but reality on the ground does not always align. From threats of a major attack, Washington’s policy direction suddenly shifted to a diplomatic pause. This illustrates how quickly the gap between words and reality can widen. Trump Threatens Major Attack, Ends Up with Ceasefire Trump has once again shown a sharp change in stance in the war against Iran. On Sunday (5/4/2026), via Truth Social, he threatened that Iran would face a massive attack on its infrastructure, from power plants to bridges, if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened by Tuesday at 20:00 Eastern US time. This threat gave the impression that Washington was truly ready to enter a heavier escalation phase. However, the reality turned in the opposite direction. Approaching the deadline he set himself, Trump did not follow through on the threat. Less than two hours before the deadline ended on Tuesday (7/4/2026), Trump instead announced a halt to attacks for two weeks or a temporary ceasefire with Iran. This change once again shows that Trump’s tough-sounding statements do not necessarily immediately align with the actual steps taken by the US government on the ground, as has been the case before. Here are several of Trump’s statements during the period of the war against Iran that did not match reality. Trump Says Iran is Already Weak, But in Fact It Can Still Fight This statement came first on 9 March 2026 in an interview with CBS News. At that time, Trump described Iran as an opponent nearly out of energy. “They no longer have a navy, no communications, and no air force,” said Trump. If only looking at that statement, one might get the impression that Iran was practically no longer capable of meaningful resistance. However, what happened afterwards showed otherwise. Iran was still able to carry out counterattacks, the conflict continued to widen, and Tehran’s ability to pressure the Middle East had not truly disappeared. Trump Claims Victory, But the War Continues Two days later, precisely on Wednesday (11/3/2026), Trump appeared at a rally in Hebron, Kentucky, and launched a victory claim. “You really don’t want to say you’ve won too quickly. We have won,” said Trump. This statement sounded like a closing remark, as if the war was just waiting for final formalities. However, in the same opportunity, Trump also said, “We don’t want to go too quickly, right? We have to finish the job.” From this alone, a discrepancy is already apparent. On one side, he claims victory, but on the other, he acknowledges that the operation is not yet complete. Reality did not support the picture that the war was nearly over. After mid-March, tensions remained high. The US continued to increase troop deployments to the Middle East, while the Strait of Hormuz remained risky for merchant ships, especially tankers, which ultimately disrupted global energy flows. Trump Says There Are Already Many Agreements, Iran Rejects On Monday (23/3/2026), after several days of harsh tones, Trump began to change the direction of his rhetoric. When speaking to the media, Trump gave the impression that the path to peace was opening. Trump said there were already “many important points in agreement” and signalled that a deal could be reached soon. However, when the proposal from Washington reached the Iranian side, the response that emerged was negative. Iran assessed the content of the proposal as one-sided and unfair. This further shows that the distance between the positions of the two parties was still quite far. Thus, the claim of many points of agreement had not truly been reflected in the content of the discussions. Trump’s Optimism About Peace Does Not Align with Iran’s Stance The day after, on 24 March 2026, Trump’s tone became even more optimistic. When speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said, “We are talking to the right people,” then added, “We are currently negotiating.” This statement gave hope that the war was moving towards a diplomatic track. However, at the same time, the Iranian side denied that picture. From Tehran, it was acknowledged only as an exchange of messages through mediators, not direct negotiations that had produced major breakthroughs. As a result, Trump’s optimism about peace appeared to advance faster than the actual diplomatic developments. Hormuz Situation Called Better, But in Fact Still Risky Still on 24 March 2026, Trump also began to give the impression of positive developments in the energy track. In his statement in the Oval Office, he said Iran gave the US a “very big gift” and emphasised that the gift was related to oil and gas, not nuclear issues. Two days later, on Thursday (26/3/2026) in a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump explained that what he meant was that Iran allowed several tankers to pass through. This narrative gave the impression that tensions in the Strait of Hormuz were starting to ease. However, the big picture had not changed much. Hormuz remained a source of shocks in the energy market, oil prices were still surging above US$100 per barrel from pre-war levels, and even the US government itself still placed the security of the strait as one of the cores of its proposals.