Sky News ground to a halt as its US correspondent James Matthews delivered a breaking Donald Trump update while declaring the American president sounded “unhinged”. Announcing that the commander-in-chief gave a deadline of Tuesday for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the presenter analysed Mr Trump’s Truth Social message regarding the ultimatum.
Mr Trump wrote an expletive-filled ultimatum: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” Reflecting on this, Matthews said: “I mean, these are the words surely of somebody who is losing the argument [and] is seeking for new and perhaps darker methods to resolve an intractable situation. For the 47th president of the United States to use these kind of terms, the F word, the B word…undermining the civil norms of negotiation.”
“And we have seen how far that has taken Donald Trump at this stage – not very far, actually, is the answer. And some distance from the end game,” he continued.
“Iran is in a position where it has demonstrated military effectiveness and throughout has resisted pressure via social media from Donald Trump.
“So…you’re talking about a sovereign country, a sovereign nation proudly resisting American pressure. How Donald Trump thinks this is going to work is a question…for him alone.
“I do think it raises questions about his state of mind and also about his approach to this whole affair.”
“If the US military and [America] is to trust in measured leadership that protects American lives, preserves American interests, and isn’t a matter of throwing the kitchen sink at Iran with the attendant dangers that that involves…essentially burning the house down, then you have to be concerned…at where he is taking this.
“If that posting is a reflection of his state of mind going into this, it sounds unhinged.
“He says there’s a good chance of a deal being reached tomorrow. He’s repeated his threats, but reckons that there is cause for optimism.
“And adding that Iran is negotiating now, so quite how…those social media postings sit together is quite the mystery,” he concluded.
