Donald Trump has said the US will continue its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz until Iran agrees to a peace deal, claiming the halt to shipping is “absolutely destroying Iran”.
The US president said the current ceasefire will end on Wednesday evening local time, and that it’s “highly unlikely that I’d extend it” if Washington and Tehran can’t reach an agreement to end the war by then, in a phone interview with Bloomberg.
“I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. We’ve got all the time in the world”, Trump said Monday.
Trump was resolute that the US military blockade of Iranian vessels would stay in place “until there is a ‘DEAL’”, as Iranian officials said they would not respond to coercion.
The US and Iran have yet to commit to a second round of direct talks in Islamabad. JD Vance was expected to head to Pakistan on Tuesday, after conflicting reports said he’d fly Monday.
Iran put off confirming its attendance and vowed retaliation after the US said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that had tried to run its blockade.
