PNN – A Canadian journalist has dubbed Donald Trump’s approach to Iran “TACO” (turn and retreat). Is this recurring pattern a tool for crisis management or a sign of a volatile policy stance in dealing with Tehran?
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing Eram News, US President Donald Trump has adopted the “TACO” tactic in the war with Iran. This phrase, which stands for “turn and retreat,” is the title of an analysis that Canadian journalist Richer Heathrow used in the Canadian publication “Lactuality” about Trump’s approach towards Iran.
Hito believes: Trump issues loud warnings, but then backs down before the deadline. This week was no exception to this pattern; it was a condensed embodiment of this recurring trend.
Details of the crisis narrative: From Wall Street to the Strait of Hormuz
This Canadian journalist writes in his description of the events: On March 25, after Wall Street indices had fallen since February 28 and oil prices had risen sharply following Trump’s statements that he would “continue to overthrow them (the Iranian government) unconditionally,” the US president posted a message on his Truth Social platform that he called a “10-day ceasefire at Iran’s request.”
But regional intermediaries immediately denied this narrative in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, noting that Tehran had made no request to stop the attacks on energy facilities. The timeline of events says it all: falling indices, rising oil prices, and then “a cessation of hostilities at Iran’s request.”
Former US diplomat admits: Iran surprised Trump
Alan Eyre, a former US diplomat and expert on Iran affairs, says: Trump completely miscalculated when he said he would give Iran 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz. He was forced to back down when it became clear that Iran was serious about hitting its neighbors’ energy infrastructure in retaliation.
The Logic of Power and Fear in Tehran: A Look to the Future
Iranian-American historian Arash Azizi believes Iran is now governed by a combination of “confidence mixed with fear”: We have been deeply damaged and we do not want this situation to happen again. But we cannot go back to the way it was.
Accordingly, any solution will require broad regional support and perhaps the support of global powers such as Russia and China.
Qalibaf; Iran’s winning card in negotiations?
The report claims: At the heart of any potential compromise, the name of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and former commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, stands out as a figure who has enough weight to negotiate without losing his credibility with the fundamentalists.
“TACO”: A repetitive tactic or the beginning of a new trend?
Hito concludes his analysis with the grim observation: This “TACO” was not the first in this war, and it will not be the last. He points out that the pause may be a cover for further escalations, such as the deployment of ground forces to Iran in the coming days.
Analysts ask: How many more times can Trump use the “warn and then retreat” tactic before he loses his trump card completely?