With Trump in a holding pattern on Iran war, allies and critics worry he risks getting boxed in

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump He faces warnings from both enemies and allies that he, too, is stuck Iran warA conflict that he sold as a brief military offensive but has since turned into a holding pattern.

Almost a week has passed since the negotiations between US and Iranian negotiators. provisional agreement reached to extend truce End the conflict within 60 days and start a new round of negotiations About Iran’s nuclear program this required Trump’s signature.

But Trump has called for unspecified changes to the agreement, and Iranian officials have perhaps calculated that the Republican president is reluctant to resume the bombardment. destroying important weapons systems — they show no sign of giving in to new demands.

a series Attacks by the USA and Iran New concerns emerged this week that the ceasefire could break down. Trump downplayed its significance on Wednesday.

“This is a different part of the world,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “You know, in that part of the world, I would say the ceasefire is more moderate shooting.”

This shaky moment comes after Trump’s repeated claims after a 14-day pause truce After the United States and Israel bombed Iran for 38 days, an agreement was reached on April 7 that the agreement was only a few days away and the Iranian side was begging to reach an agreement. Trump said Wednesday it was possible for something to come together “over the weekend.”

Since there is no workaround to reopen Strait of Hormuz,Global energy prices remain high and raises worldwide concerns about the impact of rising costs caused by three months of conflict on the cost of food, fuel and other goods.

Following a series of reports this week Iran halted talks Trump told CNBC that he “doesn’t care” if the talks reach a deadlock or even if he thinks the talks have become “boring.”

There are concerns that Trump will be stuck

There is growing concern within the administration, among key advisers and allies, that Trump has found himself in a difficult situation, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the administration’s internal deliberations; Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Shaken by Democrats’ takeover of oil prices and Warnings from hawkish members of his base He said that leaving the conflict early would mean surrender.

Trump is privately hearing from Pentagon officials and Gulf allies, among other Republican lawmakers, that returning to the bombing campaign is a bad idea.

Those who do not recommend returning to military operations state that the United States is running out of ammunition too quickly. Some key weapon systems could take up to three years to replace.

Gulf allies, meanwhile, worry that Iran will retaliate against them and their critical infrastructure and energy interests, further degrading their economies.

At the same time, Trump bristled at the idea of ​​agreeing to a similar deal. 2015 nuclear agreement The deal brokered by Democrat Barack Obama’s administration restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international economic sanctions.

Trump in his first term abandoned the agreement He said he had failed to permanently halt Iran’s nuclear program, ignored Iran’s ballistic missile development, and failed to punish Iran for supporting militant proxy groups in the Middle East.

Now, according to people familiar with internal deliberations, Trump has made clear that he feels strongly that he cannot make a “bad deal” and that he is acutely aware that he risks tarnishing his legacy if he missteps.

White House press secretary Anna Kelly dismissed suggestions that Trump was stuck or that there were any concerns within the administration about the pace of talks.

“These mysterious so-called ‘administrative officials’ have no idea what they are talking about; in fact, those involved in sensitive discussions know they must trust President Trump, who will always do what is best for U.S. national security,” Kelly said in a statement.

Trump resisted Israeli bombings of Lebanon

Israelis and their hawkish allies in Washington have urged Trump to increase economic pressure on Iran and support Israel’s offensive against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, arguing that a deal reached at this point would mean unconditional surrender.

But Trump demanded Israel withdraw in a heated phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, and on Wednesday Israel and Lebanon demanded that Israel step down. agreed to renew the ceasefire. Hezbollah was not part of the Israel-Lebanon talks, which have been held at the embassy level in Washington since the beginning of last month.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish think tank in Washington, argues that maintaining the status quo with Tehran – neither a full resumption of hostilities nor the signing of an interim agreement to restart nuclear negotiations – is a situation that Iran appears more ready to exploit.

Despite being the weaker side, Iran appears to be calculating that the longer their holding pattern lasts, the better their chance of “boxing” Trump.

“Either way, Tehran seems more determined than ever not to give Trump the image of victory, so he is not budging on the battlefield or at the negotiating table,” Taleblu said.

The waiting model doesn’t help Republicans down the ballot

At the same time, Democrats are trying to capitalize on Trump’s handling of the issue. unpopular war Ahead of the midterm elections in November. The House of Representatives passed a law for the first time on Wednesday. Symbolic decision calling for a halt Four Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in condemning Trump’s war on military action against Iran.

During Hours of hearings on Capitol Hill In calls with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday and Wednesday, Democrats blasted Trump for failing to consider the economic impact of the conflict on Americans and failing to predict that Iran would close the Strait.

In a tense exchange, New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker pointed to the unstable ceasefire as a sign that Iran has the upper hand.

“We are the most powerful nation on planet Earth, and we are at an impasse with Iran,” Booker said. “And now we are begging to return to a deal that you all threw away in the first place.”

Rubio rejected the criticism and underlined that Iran has come up with attack after attack that has eliminated multiple layers of senior leadership and left Iran’s economy in shambles.

“There is no one begging,” Rubio responded. “I don’t know where you get the perception that Iran is stronger.”

Another Democrat, Sen. of Maryland. Chris Van Hollen addressed Trump’s comments last month that voters’ concerns about the cost of living were a factor that motivated him “even a little bit” to reach a deal to end the war.

The president continues to downplay Americans’ rising costs at the pump and predicts gas prices will fall sharply after the conflict ends.

Christopher Borick, director of the Public Opinion Institute at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, said Democrats running in swing districts across the country are already focused on Trump’s rhetoric about the impact of war on Americans’ wallets.

“There is a serious risk that this will last a long time for Republicans,” Borick said. “It would certainly be painful for Trump to get to a place where the war is over and Iran’s nuclear program is in the same place. But for Republicans in some of these tough districts, there’s a case to be made to rip off the bandage now, get some easing in oil markets, and hope there’s enough time for voters to turn the page.”

___ Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri and Lisa Mascaro in New York contributed to this report.