As deadline for Iran-U.S. ceasefire approaches, U.S. president Donald Trump A series of claims have been made about a possible peace deal between Tehran and Washington. The two sides reportedly held another round of talks in Islamabad on Monday, after previous talks in the Pakistani capital remained inconclusive as the two countries were unable to agree on Iran’s nuclear program and other issues. Follow the latest updates on the U.S.-Iran war
While painting an optimistic outlook for diplomatic progress with Iran, Trump made threatening remarks, saying the ceasefire with Iran could end if a long-term deal is not reached by Wednesday’s deadline for a two-week pause in fighting in the Middle East.
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Trump also said that if a deal is not reached, the United States will “maintain” the blockade of Iranian ports.
Still, the Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint between the United States and Iran even as Iran reopens the key energy channel, providing significant relief to countries around the world threatened by fuel shortages.
Against the backdrop of these developments, Trump’s rhetoric has oscillated between optimism about ending the war and harsh U.S. action against Iran if conditions are not met.
Here are Trump’s top 10 remarks about a deal with Iran since the Strait of Hormuz opened:
“No sticking points, very close to a deal”: In reports of new negotiations with Iran, AFP quoted Trump as saying that Iran and the United States were “very close to a deal” and that there were “no sticking points.”
“If there is no deal, the United States will continue to block Iranian ports”: Trump said late on Friday that he planned to maintain a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports if a peace deal with Tehran was not reached, adding that he might not extend the ceasefire when it expires. Asked whether the ceasefire would be extended, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “Maybe I won’t extend the ceasefire, but the blockade will continue.” Asked about a possible deal, Trump said: “I think that’s going to happen.”
“Some good news about Iran”: Trump said on Friday there was some “pretty good news” about Iran but did not elaborate.
“We got some pretty good news 20 minutes ago, but things seem to be going well in the Middle East with Iran,” Trump said. “You’re going to hear it. I just think it’s something that should happen. It’s something that only makes sense if it happens. And I think it’s going to happen. We’ll see what happens, but I think it’s going to happen.”
“Iran has agreed not to close the Strait of Hormuz”: Trump posted on his “Truth Society” account that Iran had agreed to “no longer close the Strait of Hormuz.” “It will no longer be used as a weapon against the world! It will no longer be used as a weapon against the world,” he wrote.
‘Until our deal with Iran is 100% complete’: Trump announced that he would continue to impose a naval blockade on Iran in Hormuz, saying that this would continue until the United States’ “deal with Iran is 100 percent complete.” “The Strait of Hormuz is fully open and ready for passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full effect as it targets Iran only until our deal with Iran is 100% complete. This process should be quick as most issues have already been negotiated. Thank you to President Donald J. Trump for your attention to this matter,” he wrote in another post on The Truth Society.
‘Iranians want to meet’: Trump said on Thursday that talks with Iran could happen “very soon.” “The Iranians want a meeting,” he said in a brief phone interview with news outlet Axios. “They want to make a deal. I think the meeting will probably take place over the weekend.”
“Iranian uranium will be brought back to the United States”: Trump said on Friday that under any peace deal, the United States and Iran would jointly use excavators to remove uranium from Tehran’s nuclear facilities before moving the material into the United States. “Some people say, how do we get nuclear fallout? We’re going to get nuclear fallout by working with Iran and using a lot of excavators,” Trump told a rally for the conservative American Turning Point movement in Phoenix, Arizona. “We need the biggest excavators you can imagine,” he added. “But we will engage with Iran. We will get it. We will bring it back to the United States very quickly.”
“Iran has agreed to everything”: Trump also claimed that Iran “agreed to everything” in ongoing negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program. “We’re going to go down and get it with them, and we’re going to live with it,” he added, according to CNN. “We’re going to work it out together because then we’ll have an agreement and when we have an agreement there’s no need to fight. Good, right? It’s better this way.”
“A lot of good things are happening”: Trump has suggested that a deal with Iran would include Lebanon, and the current ceasefire between Iran and the United States is threatened by Israel’s deadly attack on Lebanon last week. “A lot of good things are happening, including in Lebanon,” he said. Attacks also occurred during the last talks in Islamabad.
“Paper Tiger NATO”: Trump lashed out at NATO, calling it a “paper tiger”. “Now that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is over, I got a call from NATO asking if we needed help. I told them to stay away unless they just wanted to load oil on the ship. They are useless in time of need and are paper tigers!” he said in the Truth Society post.
