Coercive Diplomacy

Coercive diplomacy is the use of threats or limited force to persuade an adversary to change behaviour — distinct from full-scale war. It involves signalling credible intent to escalate while leaving the adversary a face-saving exit. Trump's Truth Social threat is a textbook instrument of coercive diplomacy: threatening disproportionate destruction to extract a negotiated deal. The strategy carries inherent risks — it can harden the adversary's resolve (the "rally around the flag" effect), raise domestic and international condemnation, and escalate uncontrollably if the adversary calls the bluff.