Iran-US war to reignite again? Trump says 'I don't care'; reports claim he may be planning 'limited' strikes

US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) reiterated that it makes no difference to him whether or not Iran would return to the negotiation table following a stalemate in talks held in Islamabad. He had said the same thing on the day of US-Iran talks in Pakistan. Meanwhile, reports indicated that Trump is planning limited strikes in Iran to set the stalled talks in track apart from the Strait f Hormuz blockade.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump claimed that Iran was in a "very bad shape" and "very desperate". "I don't know. I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine. Their military is gone. Their missiles are largely depleted. The manufacturing capability for missiles and drones is largely defeated. We've been very nice. We haven't ripped down too many bridges," Trump said. "I think Iran is in very bad shape. I think they're very desperate. We had a meeting that lasted 21 hours. We understand the situation better than anybody," he added.

Reports have indicated that Trump and his advisers are looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a way to break a stalemate in peace talks. “I would hate to do it, but it’s their water, their desalinization plants, their electric-generating plants, which are very easy to hit,” Trump said on Fox News earlier. A White House spokeswoman declined to discuss Trump’s specific options.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday (Apr 12) said that Tehran had been just "inches away" from a deal. He accused the US of “maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.” Iranian President Pezeshkian echoed similar sentiments and wrote on X, "If the American government abandons its totalitarianism and respects the rights of the Iranian nation, ways to reach an agreement will certainly be found. I commend the members of the negotiating team, especially my dear brother Mr. Dr. Qalibaf, and say "God gives you strength."

Meanwhile, the White House on Sunday (Apr 12) spelled out the “red lines” that were responsible for failed talks with during marathon talks in Pakistan. According to CNN, citing a White House official, the nonnegotiable parameters set by Donald Trump for Iran include ending all uranium enrichment, dismantling its major nuclear enrichment facilities that were reportedly damaged in a U.S. bombing run last June, retrieving more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium believed to be buried underground, accepting a broader peace, security, and de-escalation framework involving regional allies, ending funding for proxy groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis, and fully opening the Strait of Hormuz without charging any tolls for passage. US Vice President JD Vance, who negotiated with the Iranians, said that he had offered “best and final deal.” Vance said that the core requirement was a clear and affirmative commitment from Iran that it would neither pursue a nuclear weapon nor develop the capabilities that could allow it to rapidly produce one.