US President Donald Trump on Friday issued a stark warning to Iran in his newest Fact Social publish, saying Tehran had “no playing cards” left and was relying solely on “brief time period extortion of the world” via management of key worldwide waterways.
“The Iranians don’t appear to appreciate they haven’t any playing cards, apart from a brief time period extortion of the World by utilizing Worldwide Waterways,” Trump wrote, including, “The one motive they’re alive at the moment is to barter!”
The remarks got here hours after Trump signalled a possible army escalation in an interview with the New York Put up, the place he had mentioned that US warships have been being reloaded with “one of the best ammunition” and have been able to resume strikes if peace talks in Pakistan fail.
Talking as Vice President JD Vance departed for Islamabad to steer negotiations, Trump underscored the slender window for diplomacy. “We’re going to seek out out in about 24 hours. We will know quickly,” he advised the New York Put up.
Iran is predicted to be represented in Islamabad by Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Araghchi had earlier insisted in pre-war talks that Iran has an inalienable proper to complement uranium.
Trump expressed scepticism over Tehran’s commitments. “You’re dealing towards those who we don’t know whether or not or not they inform the reality,” he mentioned. “To our face, they’re eliminating all nuclear weapons, all the pieces’s gone. After which they exit to the press and say, ‘No, we might like to complement.’ So we’ll discover out.”
The talks are anticipated to concentrate on key US calls for, together with Iran handing over an estimated 1,000 kilos of deeply buried enriched uranium and persevering with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to worldwide transport. Trump has mentioned that reopening the Strait free of charge passage of ships is a essential element of any ceasefire deal, although few vessels have handed via because the US halted its bombing marketing campaign.
Different points on the desk embrace ending Iran’s assist for regional proxies, the standing of its ballistic missile program, and Tehran’s demand for the lifting of US sanctions.
WHITE HOUSE SIGNALS OPTIMISM
In the meantime, the White Home mentioned that Trump stays optimistic in regards to the probabilities of a breakthrough as negotiations with Iran get underway in Pakistan.
“President Trump is optimistic {that a} deal may be reached,” White Home principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly advised Fox Information, outlining the administration’s expectations forward of the high-stakes talks.
Kelly mentioned Trump had tasked Vice President JD Vance, particular envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner with main the negotiations in Islamabad, with extra assist from officers throughout the Nationwide Safety Council and State Division.
She added that the workforce has been working in shut coordination from the outset. “The Vice President, Secretary of State, Particular Envoy and Mr. Kushner have all the time been collaborating on these discussions,” Kelly mentioned, expressing confidence that the talks might yield “lasting peace within the Center East.”
Iran is not going to enter negotiations till key preconditions are met, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf mentioned on Friday, insisting {that a} ceasefire in Lebanon and the discharge of Tehran’s blocked property should come first.
In a publish on X, Qalibaf made clear that talks can’t proceed with out prior commitments being honoured. “Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the events have but to be carried out: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the discharge of Iran’s blocked property previous to the graduation of negotiations,” he wrote.
“These two issues have to be fulfilled earlier than negotiations start,” he added, underscoring Iran’s hardened stance as diplomatic efforts collect tempo.
Iran has been unable to entry tens of billions of {dollars} of its property from overseas banks, primarily earned from exports of oil and fuel, attributable to US sanctions on its banking and power sectors.
– Ends
(With inputs from businesses)
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