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Topics: Iran, Donald Trump, US News, World News
Callum Jones
Topics: Iran, Donald Trump, US News, World News
Iran reportedly has 'no plans to participate' in further peace talks with the US after Donald Trump warned 'the whole country is going to get blown up' if a deal is not reached.
A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US is set to expire on Tuesday, with talks between the nations in Pakistan recently concluding without an agreement.
Vice President JD Vance lead the talks from the US side, while the Strait of Hormuz was intended to re-open as usual.
However, that has been far from the case as Iran has accused the US of breaking a ceasefire after Trump announced on Sunday that an Iranian cargo ship trying to pass a US blockade on Hormuz had been seized.
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"We have full custody of their ship, and are seeing what’s on board," Trump wrote on social media.
The president also made threats to destroy Iran's infrastructure in a follow-up Truth Social post on Sunday.
He penned: "We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran.
"NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"
US officials are heading to Pakistan for further peace deal talks on Monday (April 20), though Tehran has insisted it will not be taking part.
Following the incident in the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian military spokesperson told state media: "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military."
The spokesperson went on to say Iran 'currently no plans to participate in the next round' of negotiants with the US.
"Iran stated that its absence from the second round of talks stemmed from what it called Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the continuing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire,” IRNA news agency stated.
Ahead of the supposed peace talks in Pakistan this week, Trump has been speaking with Fox News and issued a direct threat to Tehran.
"If they don't sign this deal, the whole country is going to get blown up," the president insisted.
Trump went on to affirm a previous threat that the US would destroy Iran's power plants and bridges if an agreement was not reached.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, are set to be involved in the talks this week, though the president told MS Now that Vance would not be attending due to 'security reasons'.