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Mark Penn Explains Why Next Two Weeks With Iran Pose Risk

Mark Penn Explains Why Next Two Weeks With Iran Pose Risk (Screenshot/Fox News)

Political strategist Mark Penn said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s decision to grant a two-week ceasefire with Iran carries significant risks.

Trump announced that he would suspend a planned U.S. attack on Iran for two weeks, calling the pause a “double‑sided ceasefire” as behind‑the‑scenes diplomacy advances. Penn said on “Special Report with Bret Baier” that the administration’s decision reflects both strategic calculations and public opinion.

“I think it’s a risky two-week period because it enables them to regroup, but on the other hand, the president, if he thinks he has a real opportunity to come out with a negotiated victory, then I think he has to do it,” Penn told host Bret Baier.

Penn said Trump had little choice but to pause planned military action against Iran.

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“Well, I think the president had to do it if he could get terms that include an unconditional opening of the strait, which sounds like he’s had. Well, he has to do it because, look, people are, in my latest poll, 51% support the war, 54% said it was justified, but 57% said if he could get a good deal he should take it,” Penn said.

On Feb. 28, Trump said that American and Israeli forces had carried out Operation Epic Fury after talks over Iran’s nuclear and missile programs fell apart. In a March 2 Fox News interview, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff reported that Iranian officials planned to continue uranium enrichment and claimed they already possessed enough material to produce nearly a dozen “dirty” weapons.

Earlier, on March 21, Trump threatened to strike Iranian power facilities if the Islamic Republic blocked the Strait of Hormuz. He temporarily postponed the action on March 23. Trump said Saturday that Iran’s “whole civilization will die” if it failed to comply with his deadline, warning that the U.S. might strike that evening, given the slim likelihood of reaching an agreement before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News)