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‘Don’t care if they come back': Trump after failed US-Iran talks in Pakistan; says Tehran in ‘very bad shape’
Donald Trump said that a blockade on ships entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz will go into effect at 10am on Monday to prevent Iran from selling oil.
A day after peace talks in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) said that he doesn't care if Iran comes back, adding that Tehran is in a very bad shape at present.
Speaking to reporters outside Air Force One, Trump said that "Iran is in a very bad shape". He said the talks between Washington and Tehran lasted for about 21 hours, noting that the US understands the situation better than anybody. Follow US-Iran war news live updates
Despite the failed talks, Trump firmly reiterated that "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. There is no way."
"They still want it, and they made that clear the other night. Iran will NOT have a nuclear weapon," he told reporters.
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On whether talks could possibly resume between the two sides, Trump said, “I don't know. I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine.”
He asserted his claims that Iran's military is "gone", its missiles are "largely depleted", and the manufacturing capabilities for missiles and drones are "largely defeated".
Trump said that the US has been "nice" by not attacking too many bridges in Iran. He added that Washington attacked only one bridge and that, too, because "they broke their word".
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"Their promise was that they were going to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they didn't do it. They lied," he added.
Trump on US blockade in Hormuz Strait
Further, Trump stated that a blockade will go into effect at 10am (local time) on Monday, adding that other nations are also working to ensure that Iran will not be able to sell oil.
Earlier, Trump announced on Truth Social that the US navy will "begin the process" of blocking any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz, the world's biggest oil chokepoint.
“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not. Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
The US President called the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, at the hands of Iran, "world extortion", adding that no one who pays an "illegal toll" to Iran will have a safe passage on the high seas.
Iran has notably blamed Washington for its “unreasonable” demands in the talks in Islamabad,
State broadcaster IRIB said that though the Iranian delegation engaged in intensive talks with the US side, led by vice president JD Vance, to safeguard national interests, the "unreasonable demands" of the American side prevented the progress of negotiations.
