Trump Claims Iranian Outreach, Vows Force to Prevent Nuclear Weapons

Former US President Donald Trump has stated he received a call from what he described as the "right people" in Iran, who expressed interest in negotiating a new deal with Washington. He made these remarks during a briefing at the White House on Monday, April 13.

"They would like to make a deal," Trump was quoted as saying. He expressed confidence that Iran would ultimately agree not to pursue nuclear weapons. "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," he asserted.

"If they don't agree, there's no deal. There'll never be a deal. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon and we're going to get what we need — either we'll get it back from them or we'll take it."

His comments came as a US naval blockade targeting all vessels heading to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas took effect on Monday. Trump warned that any Iranian ships attempting to breach this blockade would be destroyed immediately.

Later that day, Trump posted on Truth Social that 34 vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 24 hours—a figure he claimed was significantly higher than in the days following what he called the "stupid closure" of the waterway.

The developments follow recent diplomatic efforts. On Saturday, April 11, Iran and the United States began negotiations in Islamabad. However, by Sunday morning, US Vice President JD Vance announced that an agreement had not been reached, stating the talks were lengthy but ended without result, leading to the American delegation's return home.

In response to Trump's blockade announcement, Tehran issued a warning, stating that any misstep by the US and its allies would plunge them into a "deadly whirlpool of destruction in the strait."