US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington representatives would be in Pakistan on Monday night for further talks with Iran on ending the six-week conflict. His remarks come as a two-week deadline for a ceasefire approaches, with the first round of talks having failed.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “Yesterday Iran decided to fire bullets in the Strait of Hormuz – a total violation of our ceasefire agreement! Many of them were aimed at a French ship and a cargo ship from the UK. That was not nice, was it? My representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan – They will be there because they are closing our Strait tomorrow night, because they recently announced that they have closed the negotiations. BLOCKADE it already she concluded.’
As the two-week truce deadline draws to a close, here are the latest updates on the US-Iran war:
1. In his Truth Social post, Trump also warned the Islamic Republic and asked it to accept the “very fair and reasonable deal” the US is offering. He added: “I hope they accept it, because if they don’t, the United States will take out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran. NO MORE MR NICE GUY! They’re going down fast, they’re going down easy, and if they don’t accept the DEAL, I’ll be honored to do what needs to be done, which the second president IN THE last 7 years of Iran should have done.” IRAN’S KILLING MACHINE IS ENDING.”
2. The US president recently accused Iran of committing “serious violations” of the ceasefire, but added that a peace deal is still possible. Trump’s remarks were shared by an ABC News reporter in a post on X on Sunday. He said, “It’s going to happen. One way or another. In a nice way or a hard way. It’s going to happen. You can quote me.” His remarks came after Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels.
3. Turkiye said on Sunday he remained “optimistic” that a two-week ceasefire between the Islamic Republic and Washington, which expires on Wednesday, would be extended, giving more time for talks between the two sides, AFP reported, citing Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as saying: “Nobody wants a new war to break out when the truce expires… the sides will extend the truce next week.”
4. Iran doubled down on closing the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday as the ceasefire nears its end. The Islamic Republic has doubled down on its commitment to restrict ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway, as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in place. This comes as mediators sought to extend the ceasefire. The Strait of Hormuz, which is responsible for transporting roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil, has been effectively closed since the conflict began in late February.
“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” said Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf in an interview broadcast on state television late Saturday.
5. According to the AP report, preparations are underway in Pakistan for possible ceasefire negotiations. Pakistani authorities have begun tightening security measures in Islamabad and deploying soldiers at road checkpoints. They also closed tourist sites and ordered major hotels to cancel reservations and keep facilities available. The streets of Islamabad are largely deserted as residents stayed home to avoid the road closures that took place earlier this month during the first round of talks.
However, it remains to be seen what happens on Monday as the two sides go head-to-head once again.
