US President Donald Trump has warned that US forces will remain deployed around Iran and threatened that “bigger, and better, and stronger” attacks could be unleashed on Iran if a “real” agreement between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic is not reached.
Writing on social media late on Wednesday, Trump said US troops, aircraft, and naval forces would stay in position until what he described as the “REAL AGREEMENT” is fully implemented.
“If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the “Shootin’ Starts,” bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before,” Trump wrote. “It was agreed, a long time ago, and despite all of the fake rhetoric to the contrary – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS and, the Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE.”
Trump added, “In the meantime, our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest. AMERICA IS BACK!”
This comes just a day after a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, brokered by Pakistan, paused six weeks of fighting shortly after Trump warned that a “whole civilisation will die.”
The conflict between the U.S. and Iran began on February 28, when the United States and Israel carried out strikes on the Islamic Republic. Former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening days of the war.
As the conflict dragged on, Iran began limiting the number of ships that could pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route through which much of the world’s crude oil trade flows.
Peace talks between Iran and the U.S. will take place in Islamabad over the weekend, with J.D. Vance set to lead the United States in the discussions, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning local time,” she said. “Vice President Vance has played a very significant and key role in this since the very beginning.”
Leavitt added, “He’s been involved in all of these discussions, and as I just announced, he’ll be leading this new phase of negotiations in Islamabad later this week.”