Viktor Orban’s crushing defeat in the Hungarian elections has triggered online mockery of JD Vance.
In a highly-controversial move, the US vice-president travelled to Budapest last week to give his support to Orban, the pro-Russia, right-wing nationalist who had been his country’s prime minister for 16 years.
Confirming the Trump administration’s backing for Orban, Vance said he was there “to help him in this campaign cycle”.
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However, Orban lost in a landslide to his pro-EU rival Peter Magyar when Hungarians went to the polls on Sunday.
Magyar had said the election was “a choice between East or West, propaganda or honest public discourse, corruption or clean public life”.
His victory was quickly welcomed by politicians across the EU, as well as by Keir Starmer.
Posting on X, the prime minister said: “Congratulations Peter Magyar on your election victory. This is an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy. I look forward to working with you for the security and prosperity of both our countries.”
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European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.”
Other social media users, including Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, were quick to point out that Magyar’s victory was also a humiliation for JD Vance.
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Not even a week after JD Vance traveled to Budapest to show his support and love for him, the pro-Russian Viktor Orban has suffered one of the most catastrophic electoral defeats in the history of the Hungarian nation. Do visit us more often, JD! Cheers from Europe!🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/p9vJ4aWr0X
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Cheers from Europe!🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/p9vJ4aWr0X— Daractenus (@Daractenus) April 12, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1280,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2043410649691074560/img/9CIfZBOVqou7U_xm.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":720,"title":"Daractenus on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Daractenus/status/2043412323369419211","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"69dc7f46e4b0ccb589ed8243","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/viktor-orbans-landslide-election-defeat-triggers-widespread-mockery-of-jd-vance_uk_69dc7f46e4b0ccb589ed8243","entryTagsList":"jd-vance,viktor-orban,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":3},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"69dc7f46e4b0ccb589ed8243","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"jd vance","slug":"jd-vance","links":{"relativeLink":"news/jd-vance","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jd-vance","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jd-vance"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jd-vance/"},{"name":"viktor orban","slug":"viktor-orban","links":{"relativeLink":"news/viktor-orban","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/viktor-orban","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/viktor-orban"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/viktor-orban/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fviktor-orbans-landslide-election-defeat-triggers-widespread-mockery-of-jd-vance_uk_69dc7f46e4b0ccb589ed8243%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["
Not even a week after JD Vance traveled to Budapest to show his support and love for him, the pro-Russian Viktor Orban has suffered one of the most catastrophic electoral defeats in the history of the Hungarian nation. Do visit us more often, JD! Cheers from Europe!🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/p9vJ4aWr0X
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Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.”
Trump also took credit for the Chicago-born pope’s election, claiming the College of Cardinals selected the first-ever American pontiff last year because “they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”
President Donald Trump railed against Pope Leo while speaking with reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night.
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
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He repeated his grievances a little later when he spoke to reporters as he returned to Washington from Miami on Sunday night.
“I don’t think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump said. “He likes crime, I guess.”
He also called the pontiff “a very liberal person” and “a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime.”
“I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he added.
Trump’s attack came after the pope repeatedly called for peace amid the ongoing war with Iran.
He did so again on Saturday.
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo said during an evening prayer service, according to The Associated Press. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”
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The pope did not mention Trump by name as he described the “delusion of omnipotence” as a threat to global stability, but the comments apparently triggered the president.
I doubt Pope Leo XIV will lose any sleep over this, before he begins his pilgrimage to Africa tomorrow. But the rest of us should. Because it is unhinged, uncharitable and unchristian. Is there no bottom to this moral squalor? pic.twitter.com/XRr9lpv4ZF
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Is there no bottom to this moral squalor? pic.twitter.com/XRr9lpv4ZF— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) April 13, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1067,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HFwCKWYWgAEeU8k.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":926,"title":"James Martin, SJ on Twitter / 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I doubt Pope Leo XIV will lose any sleep over this, before he begins his pilgrimage to Africa tomorrow. But the rest of us should. Because it is unhinged, uncharitable and unchristian. Is there no bottom to this moral squalor? pic.twitter.com/XRr9lpv4ZF
Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the Pope now?
We know the leadership of the Republican Party is on their knees (not praying!) but if anyone over there still has a spine, this is an easy one! https://t.co/lSsZHk6tvQ
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 13, 2026
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Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the Pope now?
We know the leadership of the Republican Party is on their knees (not praying!) but if anyone over there still has a spine, this is an easy one! https://t.co/lSsZHk6tvQ
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 13, 2026
As a Catholic, I find it abhorrent that the President of the United States would publicly attack the Successor of St. Peter. Donald Trump is flailing. His war in Iran has led to the death and injury of American servicemembers and the death of Iranian children. He will attack… pic.twitter.com/fl5d1G2QVP
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As a Catholic, I find it abhorrent that the President of the United States would publicly attack the Successor of St. Peter. Donald Trump is flailing. His war in Iran has led to the death and injury of American servicemembers and the death of Iranian children. He will attack… pic.twitter.com/fl5d1G2QVP
I try and focus on policy and ignore all the grotesque nonsense Trump spews on a daily basis but as a Catholic I can’t stay silent. This must be condemned by every Catholic, every Christian, indeed by everyone who follows any faith. Trump is an abomination https://t.co/XtxrFuNxMC
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I try and focus on policy and ignore all the grotesque nonsense Trump spews on a daily basis but as a Catholic I can’t stay silent. This must be condemned by every Catholic, every Christian, indeed by everyone who follows any faith. Trump is an abomination https://t.co/XtxrFuNxMC
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POTUS arguing about having the “greatest stock market” versus a Pope and wondering why Republicans are on path for the worst midterms ever… https://t.co/Oxyk7F19p5
Trump doesn’t realize what an absolute shitstorm he’s unleashing by acting so unhinged toward the Pope.
More then a few Catholics have obvious disagreements and dissentions from the Church, but just like when a nation or family is attacked by an outsider, a lot of us are going… https://t.co/Jgxt4j1ZRH
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More then a few Catholics have obvious disagreements and dissentions from the Church, but just like when a nation or family is attacked by an outsider, a lot of us are going… https://t.co/Jgxt4j1ZRH— Robert Kearney (@Robkearney1981) April 13, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Robert Kearney on Twitter / 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Trump doesn’t realize what an absolute shitstorm he’s unleashing by acting so unhinged toward the Pope.
More then a few Catholics have obvious disagreements and dissentions from the Church, but just like when a nation or family is attacked by an outsider, a lot of us are going… https://t.co/Jgxt4j1ZRH
Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
The US president announced on Sunday that America and “other countries” will stop ships coming in and out of the vital waterway.
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Around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquid gas supply usually passes through the key shipping lane.
But it has been effectively closed since the start of the war, with Iran targeting tankers which try to sail through it unless they agree to pay a toll.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade.
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“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear. Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully “LOCKED AND LOADED,” and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!”
However, it is understood the UK will not be part of the US effort, although British mine hunters are already in the area.
A government spokesperson would only say: “We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home.
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“The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling. We are urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation.”
Meanwhile, Trump used an interview with Fox News on Sunday to once again compare Keir Starmer to Hitler-appeasing 1930s prime minister Neville Chamberlain.
He said: “Nato is shameful. I mean, look at the United Kingdom.
“PM Starmer said ‘we’ll send the equipment after the war is over’. I said ‘you don’t need equipment when the war is over. You need the equipment before the war starts, or during the war’.
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“He made a public statement that ‘we will send equipment after the war is over’, that’s a Neville Chamberlain statement.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “The UK should be working with other countries to get the US and Iran back to the negotiating table, not fanning the flames of war.
“It’s just days since Trump threatened to destroy a whole civilisation, and a return to war would be disastrous. The prime minister needs to work in lock-step with our reliable partners to secure a diplomatic end to this crisis.”
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Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes offered some insight as to why first lady Melania Trump, seemingly out of the blue, attempted to distance herself from the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday.
“I’m told by a number of White House officials that they were just absolutely stunned, particularly by the timing of these remarks,” Holmes told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Thursday night. “It sparked rumors all across the White House campus that she was trying to get ahead of something that most people must not know about.”
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Holmes added that some sources close to Trump told her they were less surprised by the first lady’s remarks because she had reportedly been growing frustrated with the online discourse about her alleged relationship with Epstein.
“She’s never actually come out and flat out denied it, and she wanted an on-the-record denial,” Holmes said.
Holmes: I am told by people who are close to her that they were a little bit less surprised because in private, Melania Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with the online chatter about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and she’s never actually come out and flat… pic.twitter.com/Sbr3UWgM8q
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Holmes: I am told by people who are close to her that they were a little bit less surprised because in private, Melania Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with the online chatter about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and she’s never actually come out and flat… pic.twitter.com/Sbr3UWgM8q
First lady Melania Trump called for Congress to hold a public hearing centred on survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, in a press appearance where she also attempted to distance herself from the late sex abuser.
“Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony,” she told reporters. “Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public, if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the congressional record.”
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The demand is a major step for the first lady, given the friendship her husband, President Donald Trump, had with the disgraced financier. The White House has not immediately responded to HuffPost’s request for comment, though CNN reports that the president was not previously aware his wife would mention Epstein in her speech.
The Trump administration has faced a major backlash for its efforts to hinder the full, transparent release of the Epstein files. Under recently ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi, relevant documents would be released over multiple drops, with many items censoring powerful names while revealing survivors’ identities.
“First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under politicised conditions that protect those with power,” more than a dozen Epstein survivors said in a Thursday statement.
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“The Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors and the Trump Administration, which has still not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.”
First Lady Melania Trump speaks to reporters on April 9, 2026, in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin via Associated Press
Trump made sure to clarify, for some reason, that she herself “is not Epstein’s victim,” and that the “disgraceful” sex abuser was not responsible for introducing her to Donald Trump. She also condemned what she called “fake images and statements” purporting to link her to Epstein.
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“The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect,” she said. “I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”
The first lady named The Daily Beast as an example of an outlet that had to retract its claims about her ties with Epstein. But given that the story Trump is likely referring to was from February, it’s unclear why she is choosing to speak about it now.
“I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity — I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane and never visited his private island,” she said.
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President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, late sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 12, 2000.
Davidoff Studios Photography via Getty Images
Trump did admit, however, that she exchanged an email at least once with Epstein’s now-imprisoned accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The October 2002 email in question was made public in February by the House.
“Dear G! How are you? Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture,” her email to Maxwell read, with “JE” likely a shortened reference to Epstein. “I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY. Have a great time!”
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Maxwell responded to Trump by thanking her for the message and calling her “sweet pea.”
“Actually plans changed again and I am now on my way back to NY,” she said. “I leave again on Fri so I still do not think I have time to see you sadly. I will try and call though. Keep well.”
On Thursday, Trump said her email to Maxwell “cannot be categorised as anything more than casual correspondence.”
“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a [trivial] note,” she continued, after claiming that she was not friends with Epstein.
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Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who alongside Democrat Ro Khanna has aggressively pushed for accountability and justice related to the Epstein files, said on Thursday that the job of asking survivors to testify before Congress falls on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
″[Khanna] & I already gave brave survivors a chance to tell their horrific stories on Capitol Hill,” Massie posted on X. “Pam Bondi wouldn’t even acknowledge them.”
The survivors said on Thursday that they have already shown “extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports and giving testimony,” and that asking them to do more is “a deflection of responsibility, not justice.”
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“Survivors have done their part,” they said. “Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs.”
That came after Trump said Starmer was “not Winston Churchill” over his decision not to initially let US jets mount launch bombing raids on Iran from RAF bases.
The PM has also rejected the president’s calls for the UK to send warships to the Gulf to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
Starmer flew to Saudi Arabia in the immediate aftermath of a two-week ceasefire being agreed between Iran, America and Israel.
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He is due to have talks with leaders in the region on re-opening the strait.
Asked by reporters if his relationship with Trump was now “in tatters”, the PM said it wasn’t.
But in a clear dig at the president, he suggested the war broke international law – and was started with no plan on how to end it.
Starmer said: “I’ve acted as you would expect of a British prime minister, which is by being absolutely focused on what is our national interest, and that’s why I’ve applied my principles and my values throughout.
“And my principles and values made sure that our decisions were that we wouldn’t get involved in the action without a lawful basis, without a viable, thought-through plan.
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“That was the right position for the United Kingdom, and of course, that has included us taking action, collective self-defence.”
He added: “I’m the British prime minister. I act in the British national interest, but nothing, but nothing, is going to deflect me from that.”
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Less than two hours before the deadline he imposed, Donald Trump announced he is holding off on his threat to destroy Iran’s “whole civilisation” for two weeks.
His statement, which came with the caveat that Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, also said Iran presented a “10-point proposal” that is “workable.”
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The Strait of Hormuz, a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that serves as a channel for transporting oil and gas, is controlled by Iran and is integral to the global economy.
“This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel also backed the ceasefire, but noted that the deal doesn’t apply to its conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to The Associated Press and Reuters.
“Israel supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region,” the Israeli prime minister’s account shared on X.
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed it had agreed to the two-week ceasefire.
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“It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war,” Iran’s statement said. “Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force.”
Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a statement that “safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations” for two weeks.
Yet soon thereafter, missiles were detected by Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council also detailed alleged provisions of a 10-point plan in a statement, NBC News and The Associated Press reported.
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Its characterisation included the “withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases and positions in the region” and “controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz coordinated with Iran’s armed forces”.
“In the version released in Farsi, Iran included the phrase ‘acceptance of enrichment’ for its nuclear programme. But for reasons that remain unclear, that phrase was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists,” AP noted.
The news of the two-week ceasefire was announced after Trump made a jarring threat against Iran earlier in the day.
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“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social, essentially threatening genocide if the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t open.
On February 28, the US and Israel began Operation Epic Fury, relentlessly bombarding Iran. Though contradictory or nonsensical statements from Trump are nothing new, the president has made numerous conflicting remarks about the war and the US’s objectives in Iran.
He has also backtracked on the deadlines he has imposed and the threats he has made multiple times. Experts have said that destroying Iran’s civilian infrastructure, as Trump has threatened to do, would be a war crime.
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“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump wrote on social media on Sunday.
Trump made a similar threat on March 21, demanding that the Strait be “FULLY OPEN” in 48 hours, or the U.S. would “obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”
But on March 23, Trump shelved those plans, saying the US had “had productive” discussions with Iran. He announced another 10-day postponement, “pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction” beginning on March 26, after the stock market dropped.
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On April 1, Trump said the strait needed to be “open, free and clear” for a ceasefire to be implemented. “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!
The US Congress, which is on Easter recess, has largely remained quiet on the war and Trump’s recent genocidal threat.
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The economic pain at home and civilian death in the Middle East wrought by President Donald Trump’s war on Iran could hit new levels in the coming days if he follows through on an oft-repeated threat to destroy Iran’s entire electrical infrastructure.
Trump says an attack, which would almost certainly be a war crime, will come if Iran does not agree to a “deal” by Tuesday night. That country’s leaders will likely hit back in kind against Gulf states that are helping the United States, according to military and Iran experts.
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“Iran’s only retaliatory capability is to target America’s immediate allies in the Gulf, and Israel, if possible,” said Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Iran has, since the war began, struck military targets used by US forces in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It has also targeted civilian infrastructure, but attacks on its own civilian infrastructure are likely to prompt further escalation. One especially life-threatening possibility is attacks on the Gulf states’ water desalination plants, which are even more critical to those predominantly desert countries than the ones in Iran.
“Iran has already demonstrated both its willingness and ability to retaliate in kind should the US and Israel escalate strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure,” said Mona Yacoubian, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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“Bahrain and the UAE are among the likely countries to be hit. Israeli targets may prove more challenging, but Iran will certainly attempt to lash out at Israel as well.”
Such retaliation would dramatically increase the human suffering Trump’s war has already brought to the region, particularly if the damage to desalination plants reduces critical drinking water supply for residents.
Thirteen US service members have died in the war, with hundreds more injured. US and Israeli strikes in Iran have also killed at least 1,500 civilians, according to a human-rights group, including 175 at a girls school in the first hours of the attack.
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Iran is also likely to hit more oil production and distribution facilities in the region, which could further inflame the world’s oil market. Crude oil prices have increased about 50% since Trump launched the war, with petrol prices up more than a dollar a gallon in America.
Industry executive Matt Randolph, though, points out that it could get even worse if Iran, with its Houthi allies in Yemen, chooses to close the entrance to the Red Sea as it has already done at Hormuz, the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
“If the response by Iran is to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and I believe they will, then oil prices jump a lot,” he said. “They did it briefly in 2024 just for fun. Just to see if they could.”
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The Houthis attacked commercial shipping that year in retaliation for Israel’s total war approach in Gaza that wound up killing many tens of thousands of civilians there. Red Sea traffic was reduced dramatically for a period.
These possibilities did not appear to concern Trump on Monday. Speaking to reporters at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, he said Iran was not ready to accede to his demands to end the war.
“They just don’t want to say ‘uncle.’ They don’t want to cry, as the expression goes, ‘uncle,’ but they will. And if they don’t, they’ll have no bridges, they’ll have no power plants, they’ll have no anything. I won’t ― I won’t go further, because there are other things that are worse than those two,” he said.
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Hours later at a White House news conference he called to celebrate the recovery of two Air Force crew members whose F-15 fighter plane was shot down in Iran late last week, Trump repeated that his deadline for Iran to capitulate was just over a day away.
“We’re giving them till tomorrow, eight o’clock eastern time, and after that they’re going to have no bridges, they’re going to have no power plants. Stone Ages. Yeah, Stone Ages,” he said.
Asked whether that level of destruction would not necessarily harm civilians, Trump claimed that everyday Iranians want to be attacked.
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“They would be willing to ― they would be willing ― and it’s suffering. They would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom. The Iranians have ― and we’ve had numerous intercepts: ‘Please keep bombing,’ bombs that are dropping near their homes, ‘Please keep bombing, do it.’ And these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding,” he said. “And when we leave and we’re not hitting those areas, they’re saying, ‘Please come back, come back, come back.’ These are the people.”
What precisely he wants from Iran, however, remains unclear. On several occasions since he began his air attack on February 28, Trump demanded regime change in Iran, but on Monday he said the regime has already changed. He continues to insist that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon while also saying that their programme to make one was “obliterated” in last June’s attacks.
And on Monday, he would not even say that reopening the Strait of Hormuz to unfettered oil tanker traffic was an absolute must ― which was the subject of his Easter demand that Iran “Open the Fuckin’ Strait” – because Iran could effectively close the strait merely by claiming to have laid mines in it.
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“They’re very good bullshit artists,” he said.
Trump also again refused to lay out what plan he has, if any, to conclude the war. “I have the best plan of all, but I’m not going to tell you what my plan is,” he said.
He also waxed poetic about an era when larger countries could steal natural resources from smaller ones — known as “pillaging” and defined as a war crime by the Geneva Conventions — and wished he could “take” Iran’s oil.
“I’ve said, why don’t we use it — ‘To the victor, go the spoils’ — and we don’t have that. We haven’t had that in this country probably in 100 years, because even the Second World War, you look at the Second World War, we didn’t have it with the Second World,” he said, before adding that he is good at languages and can probably get elected president of Venezuela after he leaves the White House.
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Trump has not ruled out using troops for a ground assault, but has not assembled anywhere near the size of a force necessary to seize and hold Iran’s oil production infrastructure.
When asked specifically whether he was trying to wind the war down or ramp it up, Trump responded: “I can’t tell you. I don’t know.”
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Donald Trump has doubled down on his threat to take out Iran by claiming the entire country could be wiped out in one night.
The US president claimed over the weekend that Tehran had until Tuesday 8pm ET (12am GMT) to open the major oil shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz, or face total wipeout.
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In a post on TruthSocial on Tuesday, he said: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!
“Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
The country closed the waterway, which carries around a fifth of the world’s oil supply, in response to US-Israeli strikes five weeks ago – knocking the global economy in the process.
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While describing the US military’s “historic” mission to rescue two airmen from Iran during a press conference on Monday, the president interrupted himself to reissue his warning.
“The entire country could be taken out in one night. And that night might be tomorrow night,” the president said.
“They’re going to have no bridges,” Trump later added. “They’re going to have no power plants. Stone Ages, yeah.”
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During an earlier Easter address, Trump claimed Iran is “not too strong at all” compared to a month ago, when the US-Israeli strikes began.
He also told the press that the US would target Iranian civilian infrastructure if it does not surrender.
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“And if they don’t, they’ll have no bridges. They’ll have no power plants. They’ll have no anything,” Trump said.
Then he claimed he “won’t go further, because there are other things that are worse than those two”, adding: “If I had my choice, what would I like to do? Take the oil.
“Because it’s there for the taking. There’s not a thing they can do about it.
“Unfortunately the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I’d take the oil, I’d keep the oil […] make plenty of money and I’d also take care of the people of Iran.”
Donald Trump has launched a foul-mouthed rant against Iran as his deadline for the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz approaches.
The US president has given Tehran until Monday to begin allowing oil tankers to once again pass through the key shipping lane unaided.
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Around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the strait, but that as all-but ceased since Iran began attacking ships in retaliation for America and Israel’s bombing campaign against the country.
That has sent oil prices soaring, sparking fears of a global economic meltdown.
Trump warned Iran on Saturday that “all hell will reign down” if it did not re-open the strait within 48 hours.
In a fresh post on Truth Social on Sunday, the president listed the Iranian targets that America will hit unless Tehran complies.
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He said: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
He also told Fox News: ”“If [Iran doesn’t] make a deal, and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking the oil. You’re going to see bridges and power plants dropping all over their country.”
A senior United Nations official warned on Friday that attacking power plants and bridges would be against international law.
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Tom Fletcher, the UN’s under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs, told the BBC: “This stuff isn’t negotiable. You don’t hit civilian infrastructure.
“You don’t hit schools, you don’t hit energy sources, you don’t hit bridges. Those are war crimes. That is absolutely clear in international law.
“But somewhere along the way we seem to have thrown that all aside and we’ve chosen impunity, indifference, game show gambling over solidarity and humanity.”
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