Denis Korkodinov: THUNDER FROM TRUTH SOCIAL: IS TRUMP DECLARING WAR ON IRAN?

The world is still reeling from the blitzkrieg in Venezuela, and the White House has already marked its next target. This time, it’s the Islamic Republic of Iran. The public statement by the 47th US President, Donald Trump, made on January 2, 2026, on his Truth Social platform, leaves no room for diplomatic interpretation. It is a direct ultimatum, backed by concrete military preparations and clear geopolitical logic. This analysis uncovers the deeper layers of this statement, examines the impending operation, and explains why Tehran may fall as early as January.

At 15:55 on January 2, 2026, Donald Trump posted the following on Truth Social: “If Iran will shoot and violently kills peaceful protesters, the United States of America will come to their aid. We are armed and ready to fight.”

Trump’s style is well-studied: he does not use metaphors, “Aesopian language,” or allegories. The phrase “We are armed and ready to fight” is not a rhetorical figure but a statement of fact. The verb “will come” indicates inevitability, not possibility.

Short, choppy sentences (“The USA will come to their aid. We are armed and ready to fight”) create a rhythm identical to military orders. The pause between the two sentences is a psychological device, highlighting the second part as the main one: a declaration of combat readiness.

The word “violently kills” instead of the neutral “suppress” is emotionally charged and creates an image of atrocity, a classic casus belli.

This speech pattern fully corresponds to Trump’s behavior model in crisis situations. In 2017, regarding North Korea, he used the “fire and fury” formula; in 2018, on Syria – “ready to sustain strike.” Each time, this was followed either by military actions (the strike on the airbase in Syria) or unprecedented diplomatic pressure.

Thus, Donald Trump’s public statement on January 2, 2026, is not a warning but a public announcement of a decision made. Trump informed the world that the operation is authorized.

The successful “Absolute Resolve” operation to capture Nicolás Maduro proved the US capability for lightning-fast force actions and created a deterrence effect. The Trump administration is acting with the logic of a “victory momentum.”

Proceeding from this, Trump is not creating a crisis but skillfully using an already existing one, offering the world his “solution.”

The US President’s words are confirmed by the Pentagon’s actions. While the world was discussing a social media post, the US war machine was already in motion. In particular, immediately after New Year’s celebrations, several heavy military transport aircraft C-17A Globemaster III and KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft made transatlantic flights from the US to airbases in the UK and Germany.

Critically, one of the C-17As departed from Fort Campbell, home to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) “Night Stalkers” – an elite unit created after the failure of Operation Eagle Claw in Iran in 1980 and specializing in supporting special operations forces, particularly Delta Force.

As sources note, similar large-scale logistics flights were observed exactly a year ago, on the eve of strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025. This directly points to preparation for a similar but likely larger-scale operation.

The deployment of the “Night Stalkers” signals preparation for an operation following the Venezuelan model: precision airstrikes, insertion of special forces to capture key facilities or individuals, possibly support for protesters. The fact that the deployment is to Europe (and not directly to the Middle East) may indicate a desire to maintain the element of surprise and use NATO bases for the final push.

Donald Trump’s statement of January 2, 2026, contains a unique synthesis of political will, geopolitical circumstances, and initiated military implementation. Psycholinguistic analysis proves it is an ultimatum. A geopolitical review shows why it was voiced now. Data on the deployment of the “Night Stalkers” confirms this is not a bluff.

The US may not wait for a pretext but strike first, citing the prevention of a humanitarian catastrophe and the need to protect its interests from an “unstable regime.”

The Iranian regime, weakened by internal crisis and mindful of recent strikes, faces the most serious challenge in its history. The world’s attention must be fixed on the Persian Gulf. War can start with a single social media post.
Author: Denis Korkodinov, CEO of the International Center for Political Analysis and Forecasting “DIIPETES”