‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’
President Trump penned a blunt social media message Wednesday warning Iran to “get smart soon” or face further military attacks.
His message featured the words “No More Mr. Nice Guy” in large black letters above a computer-generated image of the president wearing a black suit and sunglasses, holding a military-style weapon. Bombs explode on barren land behind him, a strong allusion to Mr. Trump’s threat to bomb power plants, bridges and other civilian infrastructure if Iran does not meet its terms.
“Iran can’t get its act together. They don’t know how to sign a non-nuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” Mr. Trump wrote at Truth Social.
The message signals that Mr. Trump is running out of patience with Iranian factions as peace talks aimed at ending the war fail.
SEE ALSO: Gas prices reach their highest level since the start of the war; Trump insists Iran is in ‘state of collapse’
Mr. Trump and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28 to force Tehran officials to abandon their nuclear ambitions and reduce their support for proxies of terrorism in the Middle East.
Iran responded by cracking down on oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to economic shocks.
Mr. Trump backed away from his threat to bomb civilian infrastructure as part of a ceasefire in early April, even though the two sides failed to reach a lasting peace deal. The Trump administration says it is dealing with various factions in Tehran that cannot agree on how to negotiate with the United States.
Mr. Trump canceled a trip by U.S. envoys to Pakistan, which is serving as a mediator, and the White House appeared to reject Iran’s latest offer to reopen the strait and postpone negotiations on its nuclear program.
The president issued his warning on social media as allies in Europe and Asia, weary of energy shocks and other economic consequences, pressure all parties to reach a solution.
Americans, meanwhile, are feeling the pain at the gas pump.
SEE ALSO: UAE says it will leave OPEC, a blow to the global oil cartel
The national average price of gasoline reached $4.23 per gallon in the United States on Wednesday, according to the AAA auto club.
This is the highest average price since the conflict began and up from $4.18 on Tuesday. A gallon of gasoline averaged nearly $3 at the start of the war.
