‘You have no cards to play’: White House turns up the heat on Tehran as Trump warns Iran that US is ‘loading up the ships with the best ammunition’ in case peace talks fail
Donald Trump last night warned Iran that it was “loading the ships with the best ammunition” in case today’s critical peace talks fail.
The US President’s threatening rhetoric came shortly after Vice President JD Vance left Washington for face-to-face meetings with Iranian officials in Pakistan.
As he boarded Air Force Two, Mr. Vance said he believed the talks would be “positive.” ‘If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly ready to extend an open hand,’ he said. ‘If they try to play us, they will find that the negotiating team is not that understanding.
‘We will try to have a positive negotiation. ‘The President gave us very clear instructions, we’ll see.’
But Mr Trump was less positive, telling the Iranians they ‘have no cards’ to play after the devastating US bombing campaign.
He shared the following on his social media account: ‘Iranians do not realize that they have no other cards than short-term usurpation of the world by using international waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!’
The ceasefire that Mr. Trump announced late on Tuesday turned out to be fragile due to a variety of threats and conditions from both sides. One of the main sticking points of any long-term peace deal will likely be the inclusion of Lebanon, which Israel continues to hit with missiles.
On Wednesday, Beirut said the main casualties were civilians in the operation, which bombed 100 targets in 10 minutes. At least 33 children died and 153 were injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believed Lebanon, home of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, was not included in the peace agreement.
“The Iranians do not seem to realize that they have no cards left to play other than short-term usurpation of the world through international waterways,” Donald Trump said on Friday.
But on Thursday it emerged that Mr Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff had ordered Mr Netanyahu, known as Bibi, to be ‘more low-key’ and ‘calm’ about the attacks for fear of jeopardizing the talks.
“I talked to Bibi and she will simplify it,” Mr. Trump told NBC. ‘I just think we need to be a little simpler.’
Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces chief Eyal Zamir said Israel remained ‘in a state of war’, adding: ‘We are not in a ceasefire. We continue to fight here [in Lebanon]This is our primary war zone.
‘We are in a ceasefire in Iran and we can very strongly return to war there at any time.’
The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammed Bagher Galibaf, said that a full ceasefire should be achieved in Lebanon and Iran’s blocked assets should be released ‘before negotiations begin’. He said the two measures had been agreed between the parties and ‘have not yet been implemented’.
Mr. Trump has said he has agreed to a two-week, ten-point ceasefire plan with Iran, but exact details are unknown.
However, he said that the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas passes, was “non-negotiable”.
While some tankers have crossed the strait since the ceasefire, Iran is understood to be demanding transit fees of $1 per barrel in Bitcoin, potentially amounting to £2.2 million per ship.
Mr Trump said it was ‘better’ if they didn’t but suggested the US could enter into a ‘joint venture’ with Iran and Oman to raise tolls.
Face-to-face talks with Iran will begin today in Islamabad, Pakistan, led by Mr. Vance, Mr. Witkoff and the President’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
JD Vance says the US will ‘try to have a positive negotiation’ with Iran as he boards Air Force Two en route to talks in Pakistan
Before the talks, Pakistani defense minister Khawaja Asif tweeted that Israel was ‘a curse on humanity’. “While peace talks are ongoing in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon,” he wrote in his message, which was later deleted.
‘I hope and pray that the people who created this cancerous state in the land of Palestine will be freed from European Jews’ [sic] Burn in hell.’
Mr Netanyahu described the tweet as ‘outrageous’ and added: ‘This is not a tolerable statement by any government, especially one that claims to be a neutral arbiter of peace.’
Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Naim Qasim called on the Lebanese government to stop giving ‘free concessions’ to Israel.
The two governments will begin negotiations in Washington next week.
“We will not accept a return to the previous situation and we call on the authorities to stop giving free concessions,” Kasim said.
