On March 23, Trump announced that Iran had approached Washington in hopes of negotiating after the United States threatened to strike the country’s energy infrastructures. “They called us, not me,” he said. “They want to reach an agreement, and we are totally open to it.” He also claimed that the United States had been in contact with “someone high up” in Iran, but not the new supreme leader. He added regarding the new leader, “We do not know if he is alive.”
At the same time, he indicated that he was giving a five-day deadline before carrying out the threat of strikes on Iran’s main power plants. The price of oil dropped following these statements, while the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied any such discussions.
The significance of Trump’s proclamations lies not only in the information they contain but also in their purpose. Trump is actually trying to achieve two targets simultaneously. First, he uses ambiguity as a political and psychological weapon within the Islamic Republic. By claiming to have spoken with a very senior Iranian official without naming him, he sows doubt and suspicion.
