After the failed ceasefire talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan, the two nations were close to a truce to end the two-month conflict over the weekend, but then the inevitable happened. President Donald Trump went on to publicly reveal the terms prematurely on social media and to the press.
The outburst complicated the already fragile situation with Iran pushing back and derailing the entire process, CNN has reported.
How Trump’s social media boasting proved costly
Officials from the United States and Iran had been inching closer to a framework agreement through backchannel talks facilitated by intermediaries from Pakistan. However, public remarks by Trump about alleged concessions from Tehran that had not yet been finalised disrupted the cautious momentum that had been building, according to the report.
Trump spoke with reporters by phone on Friday morning while also posting on social media about the ongoing discussions, even as Pakistani intermediaries were updating him on conversations taking place with Iranian officials in Tehran.
Revealing ceasefire dealย information too soon
During those interactions, Trump asserted that Iran had accepted multiple provisions that sources familiar with the negotiations said had not yet been agreed upon. He also claimed that Tehran had accepted some of Washingtonโs most difficult demands, including handing over its enriched uranium stockpile, while suggesting that an end to the conflict was close.
Iranian officials publicly pushed back against those claims and denied that preparations were underway for another round of talks, thereby dampening expectations of a near-term breakthrough.
The developments have cast fresh uncertainty over whether diplomatic progress can continue in the coming days. Privately, several officials within Trumpโs administration acknowledged to CNN that the Presidentโs public remarks risked undermining the negotiations, given the sensitivity of the discussions and Iranโs longstanding mistrust of the United States.
โThe Iranians did not appreciate POTUS negotiating through social media and making it appear as if they had signed off on issues they had not yet agreed to, and ones that are not popular with their people back home,โ a source familiar with the talks told CNN.
The sentiment reflects growing concern that public messaging may have complicated an already fragile diplomatic effort. The criticism also aligns with the broader question of whether Trumpโs social media interventions proved detrimental to the talks at a moment when negotiators appeared to be edging closer to a possible breakthrough.
The ceasefire talks have been stalled since then as Iran continues to reject Washington’s terms, and also dropped out of the second round of talks scheduled in Islamabad later today. However, Trump said he has sent his deputy JD Vance to Pakistan for the talks. The deadline for the 14-day ceasefire deadline declared to make room for talks ends tomorrow, April 22.
Also read:ย Second round of US-Iran talks in limbo as Tehran stands defiant; Trump issues fresh warning