WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington was ready to continue Pakistan-mediated negotiations with Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and bringing an end to the conflict, as Islamabad-led diplomatic efforts continued to seek a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
“We have to open the Strait… so we’re going to give this one shot,” Trump told reporters, indicating that the United States remained open to further dialogue.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, Trump warned that the US could launch another attack on Iran if Tehran failed to reach an agreement with Washington, saying the US had offered Iran “a good deal”.
Trump added that he would prefer a diplomatic outcome over further military escalation. “Ideally, I’d like to see a few people killed as opposed to a lot. We can do it either way,” Trump told reporters.
The US President said that the US was in “no hurry” to end the conflict with Iran. He said that achieving the United States’ objectives was more important than setting a timeline for ending the war.
Trump said the US would continue pursuing its goals while still giving diplomacy a chance.
“We’re going to give this one shot. I’m in no hurry,” Trump said when asked whether efforts to reach an agreement with Tehran were taking longer than expected.
Trump also claimed that the United States had “essentially taken over” Iran during the conflict and described the country as “decimated”.
“You are going to see things that are amazing,” he said. “You are gonna see a lot of amazing things in the country.”
Asked whether Israel and the United States remained aligned on the conflict, Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would refrain from striking Iran if Washington chose not to proceed militarily.
“He’ll do whatever I want him to do,” Trump said of Netanyahu.
Pakistan continues mediation efforts
Trump’s remarks came as Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts continue to end the US-Iran conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday stressed the importance of sustained engagement for regional peace.
The Deputy PM highlighted Pakistan’s constructive and facilitative role in promoting regional peace and stability, and stressed the importance of sustained engagement.
Pakistan, as mediator, has continued diplomatic engagement with both Washington and Tehran in an effort to secure a permanent settlement to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Pakistan brokered the ceasefire on April 8 after weeks of escalating hostilities involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Three days later, Islamabad hosted direct negotiations between American and Iranian negotiators on April 11 and 12.
Although the talks ended without a final agreement, however, the Islamabad Talks paved the way for further negotiations to permanently end the conflict.
US Vice President JD Vance led the American delegation during the Islamabad talks, while the Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Dar has repeatedly reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to “proactive diplomacy and sustained regional engagement”.
‘A lot of progress’ made in talks
On Tuesday, US Vice President JD Vance said that “a lot of progress” has been made in Pakistan-mediated negotiations with Iran, adding that Washington believes Tehran really wants to make a deal.
Speaking to reporters at the White House press briefing, Vance said the Trump administration was engaging in talks “in good faith” and believed Iran was also interested in reaching an agreement.
“The president has asked us to negotiate in good faith, and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Vance said.
He added that while diplomacy was advancing, Washington retained an “option B” of military operations if a deal could not be reached.
“But that’s not what the president wants, and I don’t think it’s what the Iranians want either,” he said.
The US vice president also said Iran’s negotiating position remained unclear, adding that internal divisions within the country were complicating the process.
“The Iranians aren’t themselves quite clear in what direction they want to go to, they also are just a fractured country,” Vance said.
He added that different officials within Iran’s leadership structure appeared to hold differing views.
“It’s not sometimes totally clear what the negotiating position of the team is,” he said.
US sees opportunity to reset ties with Iran
Vance said the United States sees an opportunity to “reset” relations with Iran after decades of tensions, but stressed that any agreement must block Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“We have an opportunity here, I think, to reset the relationship that has existed between Iran and the United States for 47 years,” he said.
“That’s what the president has asked us to do, and that’s what we’re going to keep on working at. But it takes two to tango.”
He added: “We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon. So, as the president just told me, we’re locked and loaded. We don’t want to go down that pathway, but the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to.”
