US President Donald Trump on Thursday issued a new warning to Iran, saying US forces will remain deployed and ready despite an ongoing ceasefire, and threatening a stronger military response if the agreement is not respected.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said US military assets would remain “in place in and around Iran” until the “real deal” is fully implemented. He added that any violation would lead to escalation, warning: “If that does not happen for any reason… the ‘shooting’ will begin, bigger, better and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.”
The comments come amid a fragile two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which was reached after more than a month of war in the Middle East amid tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route. Read also | US-Iran ceasefire: Has Israel been kept out of the talks until the end?Trump repeated the main American demands, saying: “No nuclear weapons, and the Strait of Hormuz will be open and safe.” Referring to ongoing military preparedness, he said that “our great army is loading and resting,” even as diplomatic efforts continue to stabilize the situation.While both sides claimed to back away from immediate escalation, there remains uncertainty about the sustainability of the truce, with disagreements persisting over the terms of a long-term agreement.