WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States preferred to reach a peace deal with Iran over its nuclear programme but warned that Washington was ready to take further military action if negotiations failed.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the United States faced two options in dealing with Tehran. “We’re either going to make a deal, or we’re going to finish the job. It won’t be tough to finish the job,” Trump said.
The US President, however, stressed that he favoured a negotiated settlement, saying Iran also preferred to reach an agreement.
“I would rather make a deal,” Trump said, while warning that the US had the capability to strike key Iranian infrastructure if necessary. “We can knock out their electricity and power-generating plants … in the small part of an afternoon,” he added.
Trump also said Washington had already secured concessions from Tehran during the ongoing negotiations and reiterated that the US would ensure Iran did not obtain a nuclear weapon.
“We’ve gotten concessions, and they have to hold those concessions, but there will be no nuclear weapon,” the US President said.
Trump further claimed that the United States would obtain Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. “We’re going to be getting the … dust, the enriched material,” he said.
The US President also reiterated that his administration was not seeking regime change in Iran, maintaining that Washington’s objective remained preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz recovered and oil prices dropped following positive progress in Pakistan and Qatar mediated talks between the US and Iran.
The recovery followed the June 18 Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran, brokered by Pakistan. Under the Islamabad MoU, the US and Iran agreed to halt the conflict and restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after disruptions caused by the US-Iran conflict.
Pakistan to host next round of US-Iran technical talks
Pakistan is expected to host the next round of technical negotiations between the US and Iran as diplomatic efforts continued to consolidate a regional peace framework, diplomatic sources said.
The talks are expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief and Iranian assets frozen abroad, while also addressing regional security issues, including stability in the Strait of Hormuz and the preservation of the ceasefire in Lebanon.
“There are two possible venues for the technical talks — Islamabad and the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland,” a diplomatic source told Dawn. “Islamabad, however, is the more likely option.”
Although July 11 has been proposed for the meeting, a final decision on the venue has yet to be announced.
Building on the Islamabad MoU
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed on June 18 by US President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after Pakistan brokered a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
Under the Islamabad MoU, the US and Iran committed to halt military operations, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and negotiate a comprehensive agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme, US sanctions and a permanent ceasefire within 60 days.
Pakistan and Qatar subsequently co-mediated the first round of high-level negotiations in Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21.
The talks were attended by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The next round of negotiations is intended to advance the Islamabad MoU framework. The technical talks were delayed because of the state funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian officials are expected to announce the composition of Tehran’s delegation once the ceremonies conclude.
The planned meeting follows indirect technical discussions held in Doha earlier this week.
Trump had described Doha talks as “very good”, while Iranian officials said the two sides had reached an understanding on the partial release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets. US officials, however, disputed that any agreement on the issue had been reached.
Pakistan eyes US-Iran peace deal in two months
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed optimism that the US and Iran could reach a lasting peace agreement within the next two months.
PM Sharif said technical-level negotiations between the US and Iran were progressing under the Pakistan-brokered Islamabad MoU between Washington and Tehran.
In an interview with TRT World during his official visit to Istanbul, Prime Minister Sharif said Pakistan would continue to facilitate the peace process after helping mediate the ceasefire agreement signed between Washington and Tehran last month.
“We hope and pray to Allah Almighty that long-lasting peace will come in place, Inshallah, in the next two months or so,” the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Sharif acknowledged that mediation between the United States and Iran had been a difficult and complicated task. “While it was a very noble undertaking, at the same time it was a very difficult and complicated task.”
PM Sharif said Pakistan had maintained an honest and balanced approach while engaging Washington and Tehran throughout the negotiations.
The prime minister also thanked Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt for supporting the diplomatic initiative for regional peace. “Without their support, it wouldn’t have been possible,” he said.
Prime Minister Sharif noted that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding had now been signed and technical discussions had begun following the high-level negotiations in Switzerland.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistani and Qatari mediators had concluded separate meetings with US and Iranian delegations in Doha, building on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit and advancing implementation of the Islamabad MoU.
“The parties have agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of Iran’s former Supreme Leader,” Andrabi said in a post on X.
The latest diplomatic progress helped reassure markets that commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would continue to normalise.
Pakistan continues diplomatic efforts
Pakistan is the main mediator between the US and Iran after it secured a ceasefire on April 08 and hosted the highest level of talks between the two nations on April 12 and 13 in Islamabad.
Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire and has continued to mediate between Washington and Tehran, has urged all parties to honour the agreement.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar last week stressed the need for all parties to the Middle East conflict to uphold the ceasefire agreement.
On June 18, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding to end hostilities and launch further negotiations.
On June 21, Pakistan and Qatar mediated the high-level US-Iran talks in Switzerland.
The first round of Pakistan and Qatar mediated US-Iran talks, led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, was held in Switzerland a week ago, and Washington waived sanctions on Tehran.
After the talks, Pakistan and Qatar announced significant progress in diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran following the conclusion of the first round of high-level talks in Switzerland.
