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U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran are nearing completion, projecting a positive outcome despite mounting tensions and uncertainty over Tehran’s participation in the next round of talks in Islamabad.
"We’ve done a great job, and we’ll get it closed out, and everybody’s going to be happy," Trump said during a radio interview.
He acknowledged resistance from Iran but insisted talks would proceed regardless. "They’re going to negotiate, and if they don’t, they’re going to see problems like they’ve never seen before," he threatened.
"And hopefully they’ll make a fair deal, and they’ll build their country back up, but when they do it, they will not have a nuclear weapon… no chance of having a nuclear weapon."
Separately, Trump said retrieving Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile would take significant time, referencing earlier U.S. military action.
"Operation Midnight Hammer was a complete and total obliteration of the Nuclear Dust sites in Iran," he said, referring to the June 2025 strikes. "Therefore, digging it out will be a long and difficult process."
Trump has maintained that Iran must hand over its uranium stockpile and fully dismantle its nuclear program, positioning this demand at the center of any potential peace deal.
He also warned Sunday that the U.S. would target Iran’s infrastructure if Tehran fails to accept these terms, escalating pressure as the ceasefire approaches its Tuesday evening deadline in Washington time.
At the same time, he announced that U.S. representatives would travel to Islamabad for renewed negotiations, though Iran has yet to confirm participation and has demanded that the blockade be lifted.
Washington has maintained a naval blockade on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports since last week, a move Tehran says violates a fragile ceasefire. Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz reopened on Friday, then reversed course a day later and restricted vessel movements again, saying the U.S. had not met its obligations.
On Monday, an Iranian cargo ship attempting to evade the blockade was intercepted and seized by U.S. forces, further tightening pressure on Tehran.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran will not sit at the table while facing pressure, arguing the U.S. blockade undermines an already shaky ceasefire.
He cast Washington’s strategy as forcing terms rather than negotiating, saying it risks turning diplomacy into "a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering," in a post on X.
Ghalibaf also pointed to backup plans, noting Iran is ready with military options if the two-week truce brokered by Pakistan expires in the coming days.
An earlier round of direct talks in Islamabad on April 11–12 ended without any real progress, leaving both sides stuck on core issues.
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