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United States (US) President Donald Trump has threatened to maintain a US military blockade against Iran until Tehran agrees to a deal or “total surrender” after Iran denied holding direct negotiations with Washington.
Trump made the statement on Monday in a post on his Truth Social platform, accusing Iran of being “duplicitous” over its claims that talks were not taking place.
“Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades,” Trump wrote.
The US president’s comments came after Iran’s foreign ministry said it was not engaged in direct talks with Washington, despite Trump’s earlier claim that discussions would begin after he suspended planned heavy strikes on Iran.
Iran said its only ongoing discussions were with Oman over arrangements for sharing control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments.
However, Trump insisted that Iran had requested negotiations and accused Tehran of making misleading statements about the situation.
“The Strait is already completely controlled by the United States Navy and our ‘Blockade’,” Trump said, adding that “nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished.”
The United States and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, targeting the country’s nuclear facilities, missile programme and government support structures.
More than five months into the conflict, Iran has continued to launch missile and drone attacks against US and allied targets, while retaining enriched uranium stockpiles.
The tensions have also affected global energy markets, with disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz giving Iran greater influence in the ongoing standoff.
