Trump balances diplomacy and force in Iran conflict - WSJ editorial board
The Wall Street Journal editorial board said On Tuesday President Donald Trump is using a mix of diplomacy and military pressure to manage the standoff with Iran, delaying attacks while deploying thousands of US troops to the region.
It added that Trump’s postponement of strikes on Iran’s power plants followed what he described as “productive conversations” and “major points of agreement,” though Iran denied any talks had occurred.
The board described the exchanges as part of a “fog of diplomacy,” reportedly involving intermediaries in Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt, and said Trump’s actions aimed to calm global oil markets while maintaining leverage over Tehran.
The editorial also added the role of US envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly in contact with Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, whose influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is uncertain. The board said that the deployment of 2,200 Marines and other US forces signals readiness to act if diplomacy fails, reflecting what it called the “high-stakes and unpredictable nature” of the conflict.








