Donald Trump (Image: AP)
US President Donald Trump on Friday sounded a tough line ahead of crucial talks with Iran, saying US warships were being rearmed and could be used if negotiations in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement.“We have a reset,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post. “We are filling the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever, even better than we ever did and blew them up.”
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NATO allies face Trump’s wrath over Iran war, US president vows ‘punishment’
He added: “And if we do not have an agreement, we will use it, and we will use it very effectively.”
The US President also took to the Truth Social website with a series of posts, stressing that Iran’s current position is driven by the need to negotiate.“It seems that the Iranians do not realize that they have no cards, except to blackmail the world in the short term using international waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!” he wrote in one post.He added in another article: “The Iranians are better at dealing with fake news media and public relations than they are at fighting!”
These statements come at a time when US Vice President J.D. Vance travels to Islamabad to lead the US delegation in the high-stakes talks with Iran.
Vance spoke in a cautious tone, saying he hoped for a positive outcome, but warned Tehran not to test Washington’s patience as he left for Islamabad, Pakistan, to lead high-risk negotiations.“We will try to conduct positive negotiations,” he said before leaving. He added: “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend an open hand. If they try to manipulate us, they will find that the negotiating team is not receptive.”He also said Trump provided “some very clear guidelines” for the talks, but did not elaborate.The talks come after a two-week ceasefire was agreed upon after more than five weeks of conflict between the United States and Iran, but major differences between the two sides remain unresolved.Iran has said it will not begin formal negotiations until certain conditions are met, including a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of its frozen assets.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqir Qalibaf said that these steps had been agreed upon earlier but had not yet been implemented.“There are two measures agreed upon between the parties that have not yet been implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of detained Iranian assets before the start of negotiations,” Qalibaf wrote on X, adding that “these two matters must be fulfilled before the start of negotiations.”Tehran also accused Washington of violating parts of its 10-point proposal even before the talks began, citing issues such as continued fighting in Lebanon, a drone incident over Fars province, and disputes over uranium enrichment rights. She described these issues as part of a pattern of “deep historical mistrust,” warning that progress will remain difficult unless they are addressed.On the other hand, Trump on Thursday criticized Iran’s handling of maritime traffic, saying it was “doing a very bad job” of allowing oil tankers to pass, adding on social media, “This is not the deal we have!”The upcoming talks in Islamabad are seen as a crucial test of whether the fragile truce can hold or whether tensions will rise again.
