On Wednesday, April 15th, US President Trump stated that the war with Iran could soon come to an end and hinted that the second round of ceasefire negotiations might resume in a few days. At the same time, the US military has blocked Iranian ports, preventing ships from leaving.
In an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, Trump mentioned the possibility of reaching a peace agreement with Iran before the visit of the British King Charles to the US. “It’s possible. Very possible. They (the Iranian regime) are in a very difficult situation now,” Trump said in a televised interview segment released on Wednesday. “It is very possible.”
King Charles and his wife Camilla are scheduled to visit the US from April 27th to 30th.
US and Iranian officials may return to Pakistan for further talks. Vice President Pence, who led the US delegation in negotiations last week, expressed optimism about the current situation.
Several US media outlets reported on Wednesday that senior US officials stated that negotiations on extending the two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran are still ongoing. The ceasefire agreement is set to expire next Wednesday (22nd).
US officials stated, “The US has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire agreement. The US and Iran continue to negotiate to reach an agreement.”
Officials from Pakistan, Iran, and several Gulf countries also revealed that the US-Iran negotiating team may return to Islamabad later this week. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the Pakistani delegation is likely to arrive in Iran on Wednesday and convey information from Washington.
On Tuesday, Trump was interviewed for Fox Business Channel’s “Maria Morning Show,” which aired on Wednesday morning. The President said during the interview, “I think the war will end soon. It will end soon.”
Trump emphasized that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. “If they do not give up nuclear weapons, we will not reach an agreement,” the President said.
“The key to this is no nuclear weapons,” he said, noting that Iran has been “severely hit.”
He reiterated the threat Iran poses to the region, stating that the Tehran regime “seeks to dominate the Middle East, and the US is stopping them,” adding that US intervention in the Middle East is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat. He pointed out that Iran was actually going to have nuclear weapons and “use them.”
“If I don’t take action now, Iran will have nuclear weapons. If they really have nuclear weapons, you will address everyone there as ‘Sir.’ You certainly don’t want that,” Trump said.
While Trump mentioned that the war is about to end, he also stated that the US will not stop there.
“If I withdraw troops now, it will take 20 years for them (Iran) to rebuild that country. And we’re not done yet,” he said. “Let’s see. I think they are very eager to reach an agreement.”
It is believed that the President hinted at restarting US-Iran ceasefire negotiations within two days. ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl posted on social media X on Tuesday, saying that when asked if the ceasefire agreement would be extended, the President replied, “I think you will see an amazing next couple of days.”
He also added that he believed there was no need to extend the two-week ceasefire agreement expiring next week.
On Wednesday, Trump told Fox Business News that if the US chose to resume intense attacks on Iran, the Iranian regime would quickly collapse.
The President said, “We have already destroyed them.”
“I don’t know how long they can hold on. I don’t know how long they can resist because they have been severely hit.”
“We can destroy all their bridges in an hour. We can destroy all their power plants in an hour. But we don’t want to do that.”
The war has been ongoing for seven weeks, causing market turmoil due to disruptions in shipping and airstrikes, impacting the global economy.
The optimistic sentiment revealed in the latest Trump interview broadcast on Fox has pushed global stock markets close to historical highs. Oil prices, after a decline on Tuesday and early Wednesday, rose again to around $96 per barrel. Previously, the US military stated that its blockade had completely cut off Iran’s maritime trade.
The US military stated that more ships have been turned back under the blockade.
According to The Wall Street Journal, since the blockade began on Monday, eight oil tankers associated with Iran have been intercepted. A US official said a US destroyer intercepted two oil tankers trying to leave the Iranian port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday.
Iran’s Fars News Agency reported on Wednesday that an Iranian super tanker under US sanctions ignored the blockade and sailed towards Iran’s Imam Khomeini port, potentially returning empty. The agency did not reveal the specific identity of the tanker or provide more details on its journey.
Iran’s United Military Command warned that if the US blockade continues, Iran will take action to disrupt trade in the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea (connected to the Suez Canal).
The semi-official Iranian Mehr News Agency stated that Iran would use alternative ports away from the southern coast to bypass the blockade. Another Iranian media outlet cited shipping sources as saying that maritime traffic was still proceeding normally.