US President Donald Trump waited a few hours before reacting directly to Iran’s attempted missile strikes in Qatar, but then launched a characteristic monologue on his Truth Social website
Donald Trump’s social media reaction to Iran attacking a US air base was similar to a neighbour “ending a gripe about someone’s wheelie bins being put out too early”, a body language expert has revealed.
The US President waited a few hours before reacting directly to Iran’s attempted missile strikes in Qatar, but then launched a characteristic monologue on his Truth Social website. Trump said Iran’s response was “very weak”, and he hoped they’d “gotten it all out of their ‘system'”.
He also said he hoped peace would return to the region, and that no Americans were harmed during the attack. Trump finished his post with: “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
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That final line wouldn’t look out place in a common neighbourhood row, which made the whole situation very bizarre, according to body language expert Judi James.
She told the Mirror: “There’s something surreal about seeing a situation like this played out on social media using the kind of wording and punctuation that you’d normally see from a neighborhood complaint, even down to the ‘Thank you for your attention to this matter!’ at the end, which in the UK would normally end a gripe about someone’s wheelie bins being put out too early.”
Trump thanked Iran for early notice of the impending attack, so the US could evacuate troops and be spared any casualties; a tactic Iran had previously employed. The missile attack was a retaliatory strike, after the US authorised airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear bunkers last weekend.
Trump posted on his Truth Social last night: “Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction.
“I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done. Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE.
“I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
“DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”
Trump’s post was most likely relatively rushed by the president, as there’s a general thought-trail following the entire thread, added Ms James. There was also a hint of disappointment in his word – like a parent that’s been let down by their child, she said.
“There’s a stream of consciousness feel to Trump’s message here as though he’s sat down and run it off rather than pulled in a team of diplomatic experts to craft it. In the usual Trump style this makes it feel personal.
“Even words like the ‘very weak response’ and the suggestion that they have hopefully ‘gotten it all out of their system’ sound like a cross between resilient come-back and an almost parental-sounding disapproval.
“Trump puts the word ‘HATE’ into capitals to send a very simple, emphatic message to end the hate and he even seems to use a carrot technique rather than the stick when he thanks Iran ‘for giving early notice….’, which seems to hint at some directional middle ground to achieve his goal of ‘Peace and Harmony’.
“Trump is a master when it comes to carrot/stick debating and he seems to use something of that technique here, sounding almost pugilistic one moment and then open to reason the next, offering to ‘encourage’ that Peace and Harmony himself. The verbal tone towards the end seems to point to a move towards peace rather than the use of threats.”
The Iranian attack on US forces at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base marked Tehran’s first act of direct retaliation against the US since Trump ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Leon Panetta, who served as CIA director and defense secretary under former President Barack Obama, said Iran’s restrained response suggests that “their ability to respond has probably been damaged pretty badly”. He also said it’s a potential signal “they’re not interested in escalating the war, either with Israel or the United States.”
Hours before Iran launched its attack on Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued an alert on its website urging American citizens in the energy-rich nation to “shelter in place until further notice.” The Qatari government issued an extraordinary order to shut its busy airspace.