US President Donald Trump has said Iran has reached out to Washington seeking a deal, even as tensions escalate over the US naval blockade and Tehran’s nuclear programme. Describing the outreach as significant, Trump claimed Iran “wants to make a deal very badly”, though he indicated that no final agreement has been reached. The remarks come amid an intensifying standoff centred on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which Trump reiterated would “never” be allowed to result in a nuclear weapon.
Trump said the current standoff with Iran is fundamentally linked to its nuclear programme, reiterating Washington’s position that Tehran will not be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons. While noting that “a lot of things” had been agreed during discussions, he suggested that a breakthrough on nuclear capabilities remains unresolved.
The US President’s assertion that Iran has initiated contact indicates a potential diplomatic opening, even as tensions remain high.
Blockade Defence & Fresh Threats
Defending the naval blockade, Trump said the move is aimed at preventing Iran from “blackmail” and “extorting the world”. He dismissed concerns over reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the US does not depend on the route and has greater oil and gas reserves than both Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Trump also suggested that several countries had expressed willingness to support the blockade, though he maintained that US action does not depend on external backing.
In a further escalation, Trump claimed that Iran’s naval forces had been “completely obliterated”, stating that 158 vessels had been destroyed. He warned that any remaining Iranian ships approaching the blockade would be “immediately eliminated”, describing US response tactics as “quick and brutal”.
He added that US forces would use the same rapid-response tactics deployed in maritime anti-drug operations, describing the approach as “quick and brutal”. The US President also claimed that maritime drug trafficking into the United States had been significantly reduced, stating that over 98 per cent of narcotics entering via sea routes had been stopped. The remarks mark a sharp escalation in rhetoric, with potential implications for security in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and broader regional stability.