WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he believed Iran would eventually “surrender”, adding that pressure on Tehran would continue until an agreement is reached.
The US President, in an interview with Fox News, said he has not yet made a decision on restoring “Project Freedom”, but is considering a revival of the initiative to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Trump reiterated that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he had a “very simple plan” regarding Iran.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, adding that Tehran had been “defeated militarily, totally”.
The US president also dismissed Iran’s latest proposal as “stupid”, saying “nobody would take it”.
Trump said the US-Iran ceasefire is on “massive life support” as the two sides failed to agree on terms to start talks on ending their war.
“The ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a one percent chance of living,’” he told reporters during an event at the White House.
His remarks came after he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday that Iran’s response to Washington’s proposal was “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE”.
Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons and insists its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes.
Iran lacks access to nuclear sites
In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed Iranian negotiators had told Washington that the US would need to retrieve “nuclear dust” from bombed Iranian facilities because Tehran lacked the technology to access the damaged underground sites.
Trump said the US did not yet know how such an operation could be carried out and described it as a matter for future negotiations.
He also told Fox News that Iran’s leadership would eventually “fold” under pressure.
“They are going to fold,” Trump said, adding that he would continue dealing with Tehran “until they make a deal”.
The president also said he was considering reviving “Project Freedom”, a US-led naval initiative aimed at escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, although he said no final decision had been taken.
Trump first announced the initiative last week before pausing it amid Pakistan-led ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Tehran.
Pakistan continues diplomatic efforts
Meanwhile, Pakistan continued diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday highlighted Islamabad’s role in facilitating communication between the United States and Iran.
US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker met Dar in Islamabad to discuss the evolving regional situation and broader Pakistan-US bilateral relations.
Dar expressed hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts would contribute to regional peace and stability.
He also appreciated US assistance in the repatriation of Pakistani and Iranian seafarers through Singapore.
Pakistan has played a central mediation role since brokering a ceasefire between the US and Iran on April 8 following weeks of conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US.
Later Islamabad hosted direct talks between senior US and Iranian negotiators on April 11 and 12.
Although the negotiations ended without a final agreement, both sides continued exchanging proposals and counter-proposals through diplomatic channels.
Iran response to US proposal
On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that Pakistan had received Iran’s response to the latest US peace proposal.
Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Sharif said Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, had informed him that Tehran’s response had been received.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s leadership increased their diplomatic outreach to the Gulf and regional countries in recent weeks, stressing dialogue and political engagement as the preferred path to de-escalation.
On Sunday, during a telephone conversation with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting regional peace, stability and dialogue.
Trump praises Pakistan
On Thursday, Trump credited Pakistan’s leadership for persuading Washington to pause “Project Freedom,” a US-led naval operation aimed at escorting stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that the United States had paused “Project Freedom” following requests from Pakistan amid efforts to ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Pakistan has been fantastic. And their leaders have been fantastic. The field marshal and the prime minister,” Trump said.
Trump said on Thursday that a peace agreement between the US and Iran could be reached as early as next week through Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said progress had been made in negotiations with Iran but warned that military action could resume if Tehran refused to accept a deal that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan has intensified diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between the US and Iran through diplomacy and dialogue.
