From ‘Unconditional Surrender’ To ‘Very Productive Talks’: How Trump’s Remarks On US-Iran Keep Oscillating

Last Updated:May 27, 2026, 07:53 IST

Trump issues shifting threats and peace claims on the US-Iran war, markets and oil prices swing as ceasefire talks, naval blockade and strikes continue.

Last weekend, United States President Donald Trump claimed that his country was on the brink of finalising a peace deal with Iran but shared very few details about it. However, on Monday, the US carried out fresh strikes on Iran, which appeared to contradict his statement.

In the ongoing US-Iran war, this has become the familiar pattern. Trump has continued to make statements about negotiating, blockading and bombing all at the same time. He has also claimed more than once that the war is over.

According to an analytical report published by The New York Times, the recent statement of President Trump suggests that the war is coming to an end.

Bridging Gap Between Trump’s Statements And Reality

There has been a wide disconnect between Trump’s statements and his moves in reality. Several times, Trump has threatened to use extreme force, but has then chosen to hold his fire.

His claims of major diplomatic progress have also been proved unfounded, and he has been slammed for making such remarks to relieve political pressure and calm markets.

On March 6, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"

On March 13, he wrote, “Iran, which is totally defeated and wants a deal."

However, changing his tone, on March 23, Trump wrote, “… VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS …"

This March 23 comment of Trump had an outsize effect on the markets when he also directed the Pentagon not to attack any Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

Trump’s Remarks Rattle Markets, Oil Prices Fluctuate

Trump’s suggestion that the administration was seeking an off-ramp from the conflict buoyed investor sentiment.

For the first time in nearly two weeks, Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, settled below $100 a barrel. The last time oil markets saw such a sharp decline in response to Trump’s remarks was on March 9, when he told CBS News that the Iran war was “very complete."

On the same day, he also said that diplomatic talks with Tehran were underway and claimed that there was a “real possibility of making a deal."

Iran’s parliamentary speaker dismissed Trump’s claim and wrote on X that “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped."

While speaking to the press on March 23, Trump said, “We have had very, very strong talks…"

On March 26, he said, “They are ‘begging’ us to make a deal … Of course they’re negotiating, they’ve been obliterated. Who wouldn’t negotiate?"

After some days, Trump again started threatening Iran. On March 30, Trump said that he would take out Iran’s energy infrastructure if they did not open the Strait of Hormuz immediately.

Soon after, the stock market plunged to its lowest point of the year. On March 31, Trump promised that the US would be leaving Iran “very soon", a remark that gave Iran some boost.

From Its ‘A Significant Proposal’ To ‘Whole Civilisation Will Die Tonight’

Addressing the nation on April 1, Trump did not predict an imminent resolution to the war but said that his military objectives would be completed “very shortly" and added that diplomacy was underway.

His remarks continued to push the stock market in the days ahead.

As negotiations continued, Trump’s remarks oscillated between diplomatic progress and threats of military escalation, but none have materialised so far.

On March 31, Trump claimed, “We’ll be leaving very soon."

Changing his stance on April 4, he said, “Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them."

On April 6, Trump said, “They’ve made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal."

On the night of April 7, the US president gave the most dramatic threats, “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again."

However, by late evening, Trump had the biggest developments of the Iran war in his announcement basket: a two-week Pakistan-mediated ceasefire, which will also reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

This announcement was welcomed by the markets; however, they didn’t see an uptick as they witnessed in April.

However, Tehran said that continuing fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah was violating the deal and also kept the strait closed. Trump said that Iran was failing to uphold its end of the bargain.

Before the conflict erupted, nearly 20% of global oil and gas supplies passed through the strait, making it one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. However, maritime movement through the passage dropped sharply after hostilities began.

Although Iran has repeatedly promised that the waterway would reopen under the ceasefire arrangement, this hasn’t happened.

Tensions escalated further after the first round of talks with Tehran collapsed on April 11, prompting Trump to announce a US naval blockade targeting Iranian ports in a bid to curb the country’s oil exports.

In response, Tehran warned that the strait would stay shut for as long as the blockade remained in place.

‘Totally Unacceptable’ To ‘Only A Great Deal Or, No Deal’: The Cycle Of Trump’s Remarks

In late April, Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire and said that US officials would travel back to Pakistan for more peace talks. However, he later cancelled the talks.

On April 28, gasoline prices increased to their highest level in four years, which hinted that the markets have become far less responsive to the bullish commentary of Trump.

On May 3, Trump wrote, “I am fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all."

On May 8, he said, “I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight, so we’ll see how that goes."

On May 10, Trump wrote, “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!"

On May 18, he threatened, “We were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow, and I put it off … because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran."

On May 23, Trump’s tone shifted, and he wrote, “Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly."

On May 24, he said, “I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side."

On May 25, Trump claimed, “It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all."

In early May, Trump once again projected confidence about the prospects for diplomacy with Tehran. But those hopes quickly ran into fresh setbacks.

On May 10, Iran delivered a letter reiterating its long-standing hard-line position without offering any significant concessions, prompting Trump to deride the message as “a piece of garbage."

The pattern resurfaced over the Memorial Day weekend, when Trump said Washington was nearing an agreement to prolong the ceasefire and restore passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Even as he spoke optimistically, however, he cautioned that negotiations could still take longer than expected.

By Monday, tensions had escalated again, with the United States launching strikes in southern Iran while Trump warned that the “shooting" could resume.

Despite the renewed hostilities, talks between the two sides were still ongoing as of Tuesday.

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