Topline
President Donald Trump early on Wednesday threatened Iran with an AI-generated meme while appearing to reiterate his claims that the country was in a state of disarray and incapable of signing a peace deal as the Strait of Hormuz remained blockaded.
Key Facts
In a post on Truth Social, the president shared an AI-generated image of him holding an assault rifle with explosions in the background and the caption “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
In the post, Trump claimed that Iran can’t get its “act together” and the country doesn’t know how to “sign a nonnuclear deal,” before warning that the country “better get smart soon.”
It’s unclear what the president means by “nonnuclear deal,” although he has repeatedly stated that his goal is to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s meme post comes days after reports suggested that Iran was pushing for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while postponing nuclear talks to a later date.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and his aides, however, are “skeptical” of such a deal.
Tangent
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump claimed that Iran had informed his government that it was in a “State of Collapse,” and “They want us to ‘Open the Hormuz Strait,’ as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation (Which I believe they will be able to do!).” Iranian officials have not publicly commented on Trump’s latest assertions; however, similar claims made last week were met with a concerted pushback. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X: “In Iran there are no ‘hardliners’ or ‘moderates’ We are all Iranians and revolutionaries. With ironclad unity of nation and state and obedience to the Supreme Leader, we will make the aggressor regret. One God, one nation, one leader, one path; victory for Iran, dearer than life.” Iran’s Parliament speaker, Mohammad Ghalibaf, one the country’s most powerful leaders, also posted the same message on X.
How Have Oil Prices Been Impacted?
As talks between both sides have stalled and the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded, oil prices have continued to creep upwards. The global benchmark, Brent Crude Futures rose to $114.42 per barrel on Wednesday, up nearly 2.9% from the previous day. Average U.S. gas prices soared to $4.229 per gallon on Wednesday according to AAA’s national tracker, hitting their highest level in more than three and half years.
