Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure again on Sunday in an effort to bring the regime to the table for 11th-hour talks before the ceasefire expires next week.
The US president took to social media to urge Iran to make a deal to end the war as he announced that negotiators would be heading to Islamabad for talks on Monday evening.
“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,” Trump wrote.
“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.”
It was unclear whether Iran was sending its own delegation, after their top negotiator said both sides remained far apart on key issues and hit out at the US over its continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. There has been no official confirmation of talks, even as Islamabad stepped up security.
Trump also claimed that Iran had targeted British and French ships in the Strait on Saturday, which he said was a “total violation of our ceasefire agreement”.
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Islamabad cuts back security as uncertainty hangs over Vance attendance
Talks in Islamabad ended with no agreement last week but security measures were still being taken in the Pakistani capital this weekend for potential further meetings.
City authorities halted public transport and heavy goods traffic through the city and rolls of barbed wire were rolled out near the Serena Hotel where last week's talks were held. The hotel told guests on Sunday to leave.
In central Islamabad, there was a heavy police and army presence but the security protocols did not appear to be at the same level as they were before the first round, when Vice President JD Vance led the U.S. delegation.
Earlier, Iran's deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said a framework of understanding would have to be agreed for further talks.
Recap: European allies fear US is rushing into flawed Iran peace deal
European allies are concerned by the US approach to negotiations with Iran, worrying that an inexperienced team is prioritising a rapid, high-profile agreement that could exacerbate underlying issues rather than resolve them.
Diplomats with extensive experience in Tehran believe Washington's eagerness to secure a diplomatic victory for President Donald Trump might result in a superficial accord on Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief.
Read the full report, sharing insight from eight senior European diplomats:
European allies fear US is rushing into flawed Iran peace deal
Diplomats caution a superficial accord won’t properly address Iran’s nuclear programJames Reynolds
Vance to attend talks in Pakistan, says WH official
A White House official confirms to The Independent that vice president JD Vance will head to Pakistan for talks.
Donald Trump earlier told ABC News he would not, citing security concerns.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also to attend.
Recap: Trump floats more talks in latest threat to Iran
Donald Trump accused Iran of a "total violation" of their ceasefire agreement for firing on ships, and renewed a threat to wipe out Iran's bridges and power plants unless it accepted his terms.
Wrapped up in the latest outburst, the president also said his envoys would arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening, prepared to hold more talks.
"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," he posted on social media. "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"
Breaking: Iran currently has no plans to send negotiators to Pakistan
Iran currently has not made a decision on whether to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim reports.
Confusion over whether Vance is heading for talks
As we hear more about the upcoming talks in Islamabad, some details remain unclear.
Reuters has heard from a White House official that JD Vance will travel to Pakistan for talks along with Trump’s usual envoys for peace talks – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
ABC News, citing the US ambassador to the UN, reported earlier that Vance is expected to lead the talks with Iran.
But Trump has since told the outlet that Vance will not be going, due to security concerns.
“It's only because of security. JD's great,” Trump told ABC in a bit of a put down for Islamabad, which has been bolstering its security measures in anticipation of the next round of talks.
Iran partially reopens airspace to commercial traffic – with two days left of ceasefire
International flights to and from Iran will resume on Monday, the country’s civil aviation department says.
The Civil Aviation Organisation said they have received permission to run passenger flights in and out of Mashhad Airport – which serves jointly as a civilian and military airbase.
Travellers can now buy tickets for international routes to and from Mashhad Airport, according to a statement aired on state TV.
As Trump pushes Iran for peace talks… European allies fear US is rushing into flawed Iran peace deal
As Trump urges Iran to come to the table for talks on Monday, European allies warn that an inexperienced US negotiating team is pushing for a swift, headline‑grabbing deal with Iran that will worsen, rather than resolve, clashes with the regime.
Diplomats with past experience of dealing with Tehran told Reuters that they believe negotiators are eager to claim a diplomatic victory for Donald Trump, and could end up agreeing to a superficial deal that only makes matters worse later on.
“The concern isn’t that there won’t be an agreement,” said one of eight senior European diplomats. “It's that there will be a bad initial agreement that creates endless downstream problems.”
Read the full story:
European allies fear US is rushing into flawed Iran peace deal
Diplomats caution a superficial accord won’t properly address Iran’s nuclear programJames Reynolds
'NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!': Trump accuses Iran of 'total violation' of ceasefire
Donald Trump accused Iran on Sunday of a "total violation" of the two countries' ceasefire for firing on ships near the Strait of Hormuz, and renewed a threat to wipe out Iran's bridges and power plants unless it accepted his terms.
With shipping still stuck in the strait two days after Trump and Iran announced it would open, Trump said his envoys would arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening, prepared to hold more talks.
"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," he posted on social media. "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"
Global oil prices fell and stock markets surged on Friday when Iran first announced it would reopen the strait, which it had effectively closed to all shipping apart from its own since Trump and Israel launched the war on 28 February.
But after Trump said he would continue a blockade of Iranian shipping, Tehran said on Saturday it was keeping the strait closed. At least two ships reported they had been fired upon approaching the strait on Saturday.
"Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!" Trump wrote in Sunday’s post. "That wasn’t nice, was it?"
