"Stock God" Trump Trades Again: Softens Stance Before 48-Hour Deadline#Gate13周年全球庆典

On March 23, President Trump issued a high-profile 48-hour ultimatum to Iran over the weekend on Truth Social: "If Iran does not fully and peacefully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, the U.S. military will strike and completely destroy all of Iran's power plants, starting with the largest!" This "hard-core" statement quickly pushed global oil prices higher, with Brent crude at one point soaring, market panic sentiment heating up, and U.S. stocks coming under pressure. Iran responded firmly in turn, stating that if its energy facilities are attacked, it will retaliate against all U.S. and Israeli energy and water infrastructure in the Middle East.

However, just before the ultimatum deadline and ahead of the U.S. stock market opening on Monday, Trump's stance underwent a dramatic 180-degree reversal: he ordered a halt to bombing Iran's power plants and announced a temporary 5-day ceasefire to leave room for negotiations.

This "hard then soft" move instantly reversed the market, with oil prices retreating and stocks rebounding. Investors familiar with Trump's style have already summarized this pattern as "TACO trading" (Trump Always Chickens Out). As early as the 2025 tariff war period, this acronym was circulating on Wall Street: Trump frequently makes harsh statements to create panic and depress asset prices, followed by "backing down" or delaying, causing rapid market rebounds and profits. The Iran incident is viewed as the latest version of TACO: start with maximum pressure, causing oil prices/panic assets to spike, then quickly soften, triggering short covering and risk asset rebounds.

Some analysts point out that this "open high, close low" trading approach has become one of the signature styles of Trump's second term, proving effective especially when running simultaneous lines in geopolitics and trade negotiations. Currently, the U.S.-Israel war against Iran has entered its 4th week, the Strait of Hormuz remains not fully open, and ground troop movement signals are evident, but whether Trump's "bombing pause + 5-day ceasefire" is just another TACO or a genuine shift toward diplomatic resolution still requires observation of developments over the coming 48 hours.