After warning of new attacks on Iran on Thursday, Donald Trump later the same day announced that an agreement with Iran is soon expected to be reached, and that the attacks had therefore been called off.

“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought up to the highest level of Iranian Leadership and approved, I, as President of the United States, have called off the planned strikes and bombing against Iran tonight,”

Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The American President also stated that other countries in the region agree on the way forward:

“The discussions and final points are approved, both in concept and in detail, by all involved parties, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.”

Finally, he announced that the United States naval blockade will remain in place until an agreement has been concluded.

The tactical ambiguity on the part of the American President continues, with the public also serving as the arena: Trump alternates between hard talk and soft talk.

The approach is probably connected to Trump’s accusations that Iran has attempted to deceive during the negotiations. Fox News quotes him using expressions such as “tapping us along” and “playing us for suckers”, which roughly mean acting deceptively and leading someone up the garden path.

This process may well continue for quite some time yet.