Trump warns Iran deal may collapse if US lifts blockade
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump said that a deal with Iran would be impossible if the United States lifts the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, according to CNN.
Trump's position
According to Trump, Iran wants the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which would allow Tehran to earn $500 million a day from it. At the same time, the President noted, Iranian officials are trying to "save face" by publicly claiming they want to keep the strait closed.
"If we do that (lift blockade - ed.), there can never be a deal with Iran," Trump stressed.
It is worth recalling that on April 20, Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire regime but kept the blockade of Iranian ports in place. He explained that he is waiting for a "single proposal" from Iran's leadership, which he said is fractured.
Iran's statement at the UN
Meanwhile, Iran's Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said on Tuesday that negotiations would take place in Islamabad as soon as the United States lifts the blockade.
"As soon as Washington ends the naval blockade, I think the next round of negotiations will be held in Islamabad," Iranian state media IRNA quoted Iravani as saying.
Earlier, Tehran officially refused to take part in a new round of talks scheduled for April 22, calling them a "waste of time." Vice President JD Vance canceled his trip to Pakistan.
The first round of talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad ended on April 12 without any tangible results. The sides failed to reach an agreement because Tehran did not provide firm guarantees that it would abandon the development of nuclear weapons.
On April 20, Donald Trump threatened "bombs" if no deal is reached, emphasizing that the United States insists Iran abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Tehran, for its part, rejected the US ultimatums and stated that it would not hand over its enriched uranium to either the United States or any other country.
