Washington: On Saturday, US President Donald Trump published a flurry of posts on Truth Social, notably sharing an image that envisioned a "United States of the Middle East."

The graphic uploaded by Trump featured the question, "United States of the Middle East?" imposed over a map. This illustration superimposed the American stars and stripes across Iran, a nation locked in a persistent military conflict with both the United States and Israel since late February.

A sudden shift in the president's weekend itinerary on Friday has sparked intense speculation regarding impending actions toward Iran. Trump has repeatedly vowed to strike Iranian infrastructure and other critical targets if a comprehensive, long-term accord fails to materialise. Meanwhile, Iran has persisted in intercepting vessels and levying tolls within the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime chokepoint through which approximately 20% of the global oil supply passes.

Schedule Disruption

Although initial reports indicated Trump was slated to spend the weekend at his Bedminster golf club, his updated schedule placed him at the White House ahead of an upcoming address in New York. The president indicated that the escalating friction with Iran, among other pressing matters, compelled him to absent himself from his son Donald Trump Jr.โ€™s wedding.

At a press briefing earlier in the week, Trump revealed he had been a mere hour away from authorising fresh military strikes against Iran before being persuaded to allow diplomatic talks to persist.

โ€œI was an hour away. We were all set to go. Youโ€™re talking about yesterday? We were going to be striking veryโ€“ it would have been happening right now. Yeah, it was all done. The boats, the ships were all loaded. They were all loaded to the brim and we were all set to start,โ€ he said.

Greenland Revisitation

In a separate series of Saturday posts on Truth Social, Trump revisited a familiar theme by sharing a composite image depicting a colossal version of his own head looming over Greenland. The president has frequently articulated his ambition for the United States to acquire the territory.

โ€œWe are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not because if we donโ€™t do it Russia or China will take over Greenland and we are not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour, okay?โ€ the president said in January.