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‘Tehran Tames Trump’—Indian news TV mocks five-day pause as Western media scratches its head

Most analysts have admitted defeat: with Trump, there are no easy answers, only the Truth as announced through his social media posts and ad hoc press conferences.

Nobody knows where the war between US-Israel and Iran will go this weekend. Not even American President Donald J Trump’s little grey cells. Or is he the master of mixed messaging and media manipulation, constantly changing and contradicting himself to suit the moment? Nobody knows.

That hasn’t stopped everyone around the dining table and in newsrooms across the world from trying to read his mind.

Never more so than this week when Trump announced a five-day pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, after threatening last Saturday to “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran didn’t fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

He did this because US had “…very good and productive conversations” with Iran “regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East…,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The Iranians denied this immediately.

These contradictory positions instantly set off speculation. It is a truth almost universally acknowledged that few people, besides Trump faithfuls, believe what he says.

Why did Trump pause? What will happen after Friday when and if he takes his finger off the pause button? Will it be the beginning of the war or the beginning of a long drawn-out conflict?

Also read: US headlines offended Trump. He’d better not watch Indian news channels’ Iran war coverage

Can’t figure out Trump

Journalists and experts have been scratching their heads for answers. Most have admitted defeat: with Trump, there are no easy answers, only the Truth as announced through his social media posts and his (ad hoc) press conferences or soundbites.

For instance, what does a journalist say when Trump announces that “this war has been........

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