'Shootin' starts bigger and better if...': Day after two-week ceasefire, Trump threatens Iran of military action

US President Donald Trump on Thursday issued a warning to Iran, stating that "bigger, better and stronger" military action will commence if the two sides do not reach a "real agreement." He also confirmed that US forces will remain deployed in and around Iran until such an agreement is finalised.

Trump's statement came a day after Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The ceasefire aims to de-escalate the conflict that has been intensifying recently.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said, "All US Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry, and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already substantially degraded Enemy, will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with."

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He added, "If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the ‘Shootin’ Starts,’ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before."

Trump also reiterated that Iran would not possess nuclear weapons. He emphasised that the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global oil passage, would remain open and secure.

He posted, "It was agreed, a long time ago, and despite all of the fake rhetoric to the contrary - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS and, the Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE. In the meantime, our great Military is Loading Up and resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest. AMERICA IS BACK!"

Read the full post by Donald Trump here

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How is Tehran likely to react to Trump's recent threat? 

Geopolitical analyst Sushant Sareen wrote in a post on social media platform X that Tehran will see it as another attempt by Trump to bully it into giving him what he could not get through bombing. 

Sareen wrote, "The reaction in Tehran? Yawn! They will see it as yet another attempt by Trump to get through bullying what he couldn't do through bombing. They will see it as his negotiating tactic. They will ignore him, lampoon him, mock him, everything but not take him seriously. That's just what it has come down to."

US-Iran ceasefire, its complications

On Wednesday, the US and Iran agreed to a 14-day pause in direct hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran. The ceasefire was brokered primarily by Pakistan, with significant diplomatic support from China. 

Iran also agreed to allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, though it reportedly continues to propose a $2 million transit fee per ship and maintains military coordination in the area. 

The Hormuz transit fee has been proposed as a method for Washington to pay reparations for war damages. 

The deal, however, is not as smooth-sailing as it might seem on paper, as Israel maintains that it doesn't include Lebanon. Due to continued strikes against Hezbollah, Iran has claimed that the US is violating the spirit of the deal. 

Moreover, Tehran is also demanding that all economic sanctions against it be lifted and that the US combat forces withdraw from the region. It has also sought the recognition of its right to uranium enrichment.