With only days remaining until a fragile ceasefire expires, President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened critical Iranian infrastructure if the Middle Eastern country doesn’t agree to a U.S. deal, but said negotiators are returning to Pakistan for another round of talks.
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
Trump also accused Iran of committing a “total violation” of the ceasefire for firing on ships near the Strait of Hormuz. At the end of his message, the president added: “IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!”
Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will attend the Monday conversations in Islamabad, a White House official told USA TODAY. So far, talks have focused on fully reopening the strait, a move critical for global oil transport, and barring Iran’s access to nuclear weapons.
The U.S. military has continued its blockade of Iranian ports, which Iran’s leaders called a violation of the ceasefire. Meanwhile, Iran has backtracked on reopening the strait, saying the blockade must end first.
Francesca Chambers
American negotiators are expected to head to the Middle Eastern country on Monday for talks, including Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a White House official told USA TODAY
There is currently no decision by Iran to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan “as long as there is a naval blockade,” Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday. The outlet is closely affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
Contributing: Reuters
Kathryn Palmer
During a Mass held in the Angolan city of Kilamba on Sunday, Pope Leo praised the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as a feud simmers between the Catholic leader and U.S. president over the Iran war.
Leo told the crowd gathered in the southern African nation that the temporary pause in fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon is a “reason for hope.”
The American-born pope is in the middle of a four-nation Africa tour. He has been an outspoken critic of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran over the past several weeks, which has repeatedly caught the ire of President Donald Trump.
Kathryn Palmer
The Strait of Hormuz remained closed to marine traffic early Sunday, after a brief reprieve over the weekend in which both U.S. and Iranian leaders declared the critical oil thoroughfare open.
Iran’s armed forces turned back two tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz after issuing warnings, Reuters reported, citing Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. The outlet attributed the move to the continuing U.S. maritime blockade on Iran.
The strait’s closure comes after a dramatic back-and-forth over the status of the strait. At one point, on Friday Trump declared the fight with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz “over,” saying in a phone interview with USA TODAY that the deal reached was “a great victory.”
That prompted Iranian leader Mohammad B. Ghalibaf to slam the president’s comments as false, saying the strait remains closed to vessels not authorized by the Iranian military as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports continues.
Ship tracking website MarineTraffic appears to show no vessels currently crossing the strait early Sunday.