Trump just handed Iran a massive 'strategic victory' after retreating from threat: expert

President Donald Trump just handed the Iranian regime a massive "strategic victory" after retreating from his previous threats, according to one expert.

Trump announced a two-week ceasefire to the more than five-week-old war in Iran on Truth Social on Tuesday. The announcement came about one hour before Trump's self-imposed deadline for a deal to be reached, and just a few hours after he threatened to destroy the Iranian civilization in a separate Truth Social post.

"The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated."

Col. Cedric Leighton, a retired military officer, explained to CNN's Erin Burnett on "Erin Burnett OutFront" on Tuesday that Trump's announcement is a "strategic victory" for Iran.

"This is a strategic victory for the Iranians, because if they know that they've proven that they can control the Strait, at least up to a point, they will then control commerce," he said. "They want to exact tolls on ships that go through there."