Trump on U.S.-Iran Peace Talks
On Sunday, President Trump announced that U.S. representatives will not be traveling to Pakistan for discussions regarding the Iran conflict.
“We hold all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, they can call us. You know, we have a phone call,” Trump stated during an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Briefing.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure if any phone line is secure or not, but we do have a secure line,” he added. “They can talk if they wish, but we are not going to make anyone travel 18 hours to meet.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by the President on Saturday when he announced the cancellation of scheduled talks in Islamabad.
“I just canceled a trip for a delegation to Islamabad, Pakistan to meet with Iranians,” Trump mentioned at that point.
“Too much time wasted traveling and too much work! Plus, there’s a lot of infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership’,” he continued. “No one seems to know who’s in charge, not even them. And we have all the cards; they don’t. If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”
These comments followed Vice President Vance’s recent cancellation of his own visit to Islamabad. Vance was supposed to attend the meeting alongside Steven Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
In contrast, President Trump has now extended the Iranian ceasefire indefinitely, awaiting a proposal from Iranian officials to conclude the war.
However, he clarified that the U.S. goal for any agreement remains straightforward.
“It’s very simple: They can’t have nuclear weapons. If they do, there’s no reason to meet,” Trump told Fox News correspondent Jackie Heinrich.
President Trump has faced challenges in gaining full control over the Strait of Hormuz, an essential waterway for oil transport and a major focal point in the ongoing conflict.
Iran has reportedly laid mines in its waters, hindering ship navigation, while the U.S. military has implemented a naval blockade to prevent Tehran from selectively allowing certain ships to pass.
Trump recognized that Iran’s resources are dwindling amid the stalled peace negotiations but noted that the blockade would severely hinder their economy.
“The big advantage is that just as we destroyed their air force, we completely destroyed their navy. They have no air force left. Their navy is gone,” he remarked.
“Their leaders are out, and that’s good. They’re much more radicalized than those we’re dealing with now. Some of them are very rational, some are not, and they aren’t getting along,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has sustained serious injuries and is now in isolation to avoid further incidents.
Nevertheless, the Iranian embassy in South Africa declared on Saturday that Iran is ready to execute “the largest missile attack in history” against U.S. and Israeli bases in West Asia if either country attacks again during discussions.
“Iran is preparing the ‘largest missile attack in history’ against Israel and U.S. military bases in West Asia, which will be launched as soon as it detects any signs of an attack,” the embassy stated in a post on social media.
