President Donald Trump said Iran is “in very bad shape” and vowed it “will not have a nuclear weapon” as he signaled indifference to renewed negotiations, saying he “doesn’t care” if Tehran returns to talks, while confirming a U.S. blockade of Iranian oil flows set to take effect Monday morning.
Speaking late Sunday after returning to Washington from Florida, Trump underscored his posture following the collapse of U.S.-Iran talks, stating plainly, “I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t come back, I’m fine.”
The remarks came after roughly 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad late Saturday into early Sunday between U.S. officials — including Vice President J.D. Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner — and Iranian counterparts ended without agreement. Vance said the talks included “substantive discussions” but ultimately failed because Tehran would not accept U.S. terms, warning that outcome “is bad news for Iran, much more than it is for the United States.”
Trump framed the collapse of talks as secondary to Washington’s core objective, insisting, “Iran is in very bad shape,” before reiterating the administration’s red line: “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon… There is no way that they’re going to get it. They still want it, and they made that clear the other night.”
The president’s comments came hours before a U.S. naval blockade is set to take effect at 10 a.m. Eastern Monday, targeting vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports. U.S. Central Command confirmed the operation will be enforced “impartially against vessels of all nations” while maintaining freedom of navigation for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian destinations.
Trump said the move follows Iran’s failure to uphold its commitment under the ceasefire to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Tehran of breaking its word. “Their promise was that they were going to open the Hormuz Strait. They didn’t do it. They lied,” he said.
He added that international coordination is already underway to restrict Iranian oil exports, describing the effort as “very effective,” while reiterating that Tehran’s military capabilities have been severely degraded. “Their military is gone. Their missiles are largely depleted. The manufacturing capability for missiles and drones is largely defeated,” Trump said.
Despite the heightened tensions, Trump said the temporary ceasefire reached last week is “holding well.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Sunday that any military vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be met “harshly and decisively,” according to Iranian state-linked media.
Trump also briefly highlighted the rescue of two U.S. service members shot down over Iran earlier this month, noting, “They are in very good shape, and we’re very proud of them.”
The administration has maintained that any future agreement hinges on Iran abandoning its nuclear ambitions entirely — a condition officials say Tehran has so far refused to meet.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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