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inclination to soften his harsh diplomatic approach toward Iran’s leaders.

That does not bode well for a quick negotiated settlement, fuelling fears that the current standoff – and its unprecedented shock to world energy supplies - could drag on indefinitely with periodic bouts of brinkmanship.

Among the main obstacles, analysts say, is the Iranian rulers’ mindset, including their need to save face with their own domestic audience, despite US-Israeli strikes having killed many top leaders and heavily degraded the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities.

Though Iran has essentially maintained a chokehold on the vital Strait of Hormuz, giving it considerable leverage, Trump has persisted with a diplomatic playbook characterised by maximalist demands, unpredictability, mixed signals and scathing language.

Even more significant, analysts say, is Trump’s insistence on emerging from the conflict framing it as an absolute victory for the US – even if this doesn’t match the reality on the ground - while the Iranians must accept total defeat, which they are not likely to do.

The continuing impasse with Iran comes as Trump faces domestic pressure over high US gasoline prices and his own low approval ratings after he embarked on an unpopular war ahead of November’s midterm elections. His Republican Party is struggling to maintain control of Congress.

During the course of the war, Trump has often made explosive statements and threats, including wiping out Iran’s civilisation and signalling the use of nuclear weapons.

Trump, a former New York real estate developer who touts himself as a master deal maker, has long insisted that being unpredictable is a negotiating tactic aimed at keeping opponents off-balance.

This approach has helped him gain concessions in some cases when he has sought tariff agreements with trading partners, though he has often settled for less than his initial demands. In some conflicts, such as the swift US military campaign against Venezuela that led to the capture of its leader and last year’s talks that secured a ceasefire in the Gaza war, his pressure tactics have also yielded results.

With the Iranians, Trump wants to look dangerous to intimidate them into giving ground over their nuclear program and other issues, analysts say.

But former US officials who have negotiated with Iran say this is not likely to work, especially given the entrenchment of its clerical and military establishments and the country’s pride in its long history.

In fact, Trump’s threats may have emboldened Iran’s new rulers, considered more hardline than their slain predecessors, who have even less trust for him following US attacks twice in the past year while the two sides were still in negotiations, analysts say.

“The lack of strategic patience and inconsistency of the president’s rhetoric undercuts whatever message he wants to send,” said Dennis Ross, a former senior Middle East adviser in Democratic and Republican administrations.

And some experts believe Trump’s approach, which he has said is primarily aimed at ensuring Iran has no path to a nuclear weapon, could backfire.

The US military campaign coupled with Trump’s coercive diplomacy, might make Iran more, rather than less, likely to ramp up efforts to eventually develop a nuclear bomb so that it might shield itself like nuclear-armed North Korea, analysts say. Iran has long insisted on its right to enrich uranium but says it is only for peaceful purposes.

Adding to the tensions, Trump and the Iranians appear to be operating on different clocks - the impulsive president typically wants a quick deal so he can move on, while Iranian delegations have a history of dragging out talks.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington, said leaders in Tehran may be interpreting Trump’s erratic approach as a sign of desperation and believe they can wait him out.

“In some ways, Trump plays right into their hands,” he said.