Trump Says Iran Has No Cards to Play Except Strait of Hormuz Blackmail

US President Donald Trump has stated that Iran has "no cards to play" except for short-term blackmail of the entire world through the Strait of Hormuz. The American leader made this declaration in a post on social media.

"The Iranians don't seem to understand that they have no cards to play, except for short-term blackmail of the whole world through the use of international waterways. The only reason they are still alive today is that they need to negotiate," he wrote.

The White House previously announced that President Trump is sending his Iran negotiation team, led by Vice President JD Vance, to Pakistan. The first round of meetings is scheduled for Saturday, April 11th. The Trump administration emphasized that the American president will only negotiate with Iran "on the condition of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz."

The Iranian delegation is expected to be headed by Parliament Speaker and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as well as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei addressed the nation, stating that Tehran does not seek war but will not retreat from its rights. Khamenei noted that Iran will continue to control the Strait of Hormuz.

The European Union rejected Trump's proposal regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

In a separate development, Trump announced on the night of April 8th that an agreement had been reached with Iran for a two-week ceasefire. He later threatened Tehran with painful consequences if the peace deal fails.