The Memo: Iran ceasefire teeters as Trump blasts proposal from Tehran

The chances of an enduring solution to the 10-week war on Iran look to be growing slimmer by the moment — even as the idea of a return to all-out combat comes with real dangers for President Trump and the wider world.

Trump on Monday lambasted Iran’s latest peace proposal as a “piece of garbage.” He also characterized the ceasefire, which has endured for just more than a month, as “unbelievably weak” and “on life support.”

The previous day, on social media, Trump derided the Iranian response in his characteristic all-caps style as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”

But Trump’s anger brings forth questions of its own — including what comes next, and whether a new conflagration in the conflict could be sparked by the unwillingness of either side to back down. 

Trump makes plain his desire to see Iran capitulate. The leadership of the Islamic Republic does not appear to be contemplating doing so. 

Specifically, Trump believes U.S. military might can lay waste to Iran, forcing a victory. The Iranians believe their ability to block the Strait of Hormuz and thus drive up oil and gas prices can cause pain that their adversaries in Washington will not be able to bear.

These competing narratives are being fueled by unyielding and inflammatory language on both sides.

Last week, Trump told reporters they would not be in any doubt as to when the ceasefire definitively ended because “you’re just going to have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran.”

On the flip side, a leading figure among Iranian negotiators warned Monday that the Islamic Republic’s military was ready and waiting for any American moves.

“Our armed forces are ready to deliver a well-deserved response to any aggression,” Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the Speaker of........

© The Hill