Donald Trump Defines Iran 'Ceasefire' As "Shooting In Moderate Manner"

US President Donald Trump has suggested that Iran, which, according to him, is in different parts of the world, has a different understanding of the term "ceasefire". Talking to reporters at the White House, the US leader claimed that for Tehran, a temporary truce meant "when you're shooting in a more moderate manner".

Trump was asked how he would define a ceasefire just hours after the US and Iranian military exchanged fire, marking one of the most significant escalations in recent weeks.

"Pretty much the way it is," he said. 

"That's a different part of the world. You know, I'd say in that part of the world, a ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner."

Smiling, he said, "It's not bad."

"But it's true. I mean, a ceasefire there is much different than a ceasefire in other parts of the world," Trump said.

The American commander-in-chief also implied that it was possible that the US and Iran could come together for a peace deal "over the weekend".

Trump's War In Iran

Trump is facing warnings from foes and allies alike that he's getting boxed in on the Iran war, a conflict he sold as a brief military incursion but that has since settled into a holding pattern.

It's been nearly a week since US and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire in the conflict by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran's nuclear program that required Trump's sign-off.

But Trump has called for unspecified changes to the agreement, and Iranian officials -- perhaps calculating that the Republican president is reluctant to restart the bombardment after burning through key weapons systems -- are showing no signs they'll give in to new demands.

A series of strikes by the US and Iran this week has raised fresh concern that the ceasefire could collapse. The shaky moment followed repeated claims by Trump since a 14-day ceasefire was agreed to on April 7 -- following 38 days of US and Israel's bombing of Iran -- that a deal is just days away and the Iranian side is begging to come to a settlement.