President Donald Trump threatened Iran with overwhelming military force in a phone call with a PBS News reporter on Monday, saying “lots of bombs [will] start going off” if no deal is reached before a fragile ceasefire with Tehran expires Tuesday evening.
Trump escalates threats as U.S. Delegation prepares for possible Iran talks in Pakistan
Trump has vacillated between warmongering and offering unclear details about further negotiations in recent days, according to his phone calls with reporters. At the same time, he resumed saber-rattling rhetoric that had escalated two weeks ago before the current ceasefire was reached. Specifics about a potential deal remain fuzzy, though the administration insists Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump demands Iran reopen Strait of Hormuz and claims naval blockade is working
Trump has demanded that Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ship traffic, which has slowed to a trickle since the war began on Feb. 28. The de facto closure of the key shipping route has sent global oil prices spiraling, giving Iran leverage and prompting the U.S. To impose a retaliatory naval blockade of Iran’s ports during the ceasefire. In a Truth Social post Monday afternoon, Trump boasted the blockade is “absolutely destroying Iran” and said it will not be lifted until a deal is struck.
For more on this story, see Trump Threatens US-UK Trade Deal Over Middle East Dispute.
Trump says any Iran deal will be better than Obama-era agreement, rejects rush
Trump insisted the deal being made with Iran “will be FAR BETTER” than the Obama-era nuclear agreement he scrapped during his first term. While lashing out at perceived critics, he stated he does not feel obligated to cut a deal within six weeks, his initial prediction for the war’s length. “I’m not going to let them rush the United States into making a Deal that is not as excellent as it could have been,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
This follows our earlier report, US Destroyer Interdicts Iranian Oil Tankers Under Trump Blockade.
What is the deadline for the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire?
The fragile ceasefire between the U.S. And Iran expires Tuesday evening, according to Trump’s remarks to the PBS News reporter on Monday.
What actions has Trump taken to pressure Iran during the ceasefire?
Trump has threatened overwhelming military force, demanded Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and boasted that a U.S. Naval blockade of Iran’s ports is “absolutely destroying Iran” and will remain in place until a deal is reached.
