The United States has pendulumed between hostile and peaceful relations with Iran because of its contradictory relationship with the Islamic Republic. The United States has pursued its diplomatic relationship with Iran through a pattern of applying forceful measures while showing diplomatic restraint, which resulted in an official policy that used aggressive language but maintained operational safety. The image of US aircraft carriers that move through dangerous waters together with Trump’s statement about military action shows how the military shows power through battleships despite political leaders wanting to maintain peaceful relations. 

The current relationship between the United States and Iran shows a clear division between political language and real-world state behavior.

International politics uses rhetoric as a powerful tool that manages perceptions through signaling and controlling escalation. Trump uses his Iran rhetoric to combine elements of both threats and reassurances. He has threatened Iran with “fire and fury like the world has never seen” because he wanted to protect US interests. He has made it clear that he wanted to avoid military conflict despite his multiple statements about it.

The tweet from Trump dated 2019 contains the following statement about Iran. The statement compares Iranian actions to their recent threats against America, which will result in Iran’s demise. 

After Iran bombed American military bases in Iraq, days after General Qassem Soleimani died, Trump used a more restrained style of speaking. Trump declared that Iranian forces had stopped fighting because this development benefited all parties who were involved, and it brought peace to the entire world. The United States government used two different........

© Paradigm Shift