President Donald Trump said Monday that the “right people” in Iran have reached out seeking to “make a deal — very badly” after talks collapsed over the weekend, insisting Tehran will “never” be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon as the United States simultaneously moved forward with a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports to increase pressure.
Speaking outside the White House following the collapse of roughly 21 hours of Pakistan-mediated negotiations in Islamabad over the weekend — and as the U.S. blockade targeting Iranian ports took effect — Trump said Tehran had reengaged despite failing to reach an agreement.
“We’ve been called by the other side,” Trump said. “They’d like to make a deal — very badly.”
Trump made clear the talks collapsed over Iran’s refusal to meet Washington’s core demand that it abandon its nuclear ambitions and relinquish its enriched material.
“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and we agreed to a lot of things, but they didn’t agree to that,” Trump said. “If they don’t agree, there’s no deal. There’ll never be a deal.”
He added that the United States intends to recover Iran’s remaining highly enriched uranium stockpile — referring to it as “the dust” — saying, “we’re going to get it back… either we’ll get it back from them or we’ll take it.”
Trump also expressed confidence Tehran would ultimately concede, saying, “I think they will agree to it. I’m almost sure of it. In fact, I am sure of it.”
The remarks come after Trump said late Sunday that he was unconcerned whether or not Iran returned to talks, underscoring his position that Tehran lacks leverage following the failed negotiations.
The U.S. blockade, which began at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on Monday, targets vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports while allowing ships to continue transiting the Strait of Hormuz so long as they are not engaging with Iran, according to U.S. Central Command.
Trump framed the move as a response to Iran’s actions in the strait, accusing Tehran of using global energy flows as leverage.
“We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world because that’s what they’re doing,” Trump said. “They’re really blackmailing the world.”
He added that global shipping patterns are already shifting, with increased demand for U.S. energy exports.
“A lot of tankers are coming up here,” he said. “They’re coming in empty and out full.”
In a Truth Social post earlier Monday, Trump warned that any Iranian vessels approaching the blockade would be “immediately ELIMINATED,” while claiming Iran’s navy had been “completely obliterated.”
In a separate post, Trump noted that 34 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz the previous day — the highest number since the disruption began — signaling that traffic not tied to Iranian ports is continuing despite heightened tensions.
When asked what will happen if a deal is not reached before the end of the ceasefire, Trump declined to elaborate but warned that “it won’t be pleasant for them, let me put it that way.”
Negotiations remain at an impasse, with disputes over uranium enrichment and Iran’s existing stockpile continuing to serve as the central obstacle, even as mediators work to bridge gaps before the ceasefire expires.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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