Trump says Iran talks could happen 'over the weekend', warns fighting may resume if no deal finalised
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump says Iran talks could happen 'over the weekend', warns fighting may resume if no deal finalised")
US President Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)
Trump says Iran talks may happen ‘over the weekend’, warns fighting resumes without a deal, and touts naval blockade while eyeing Israel-Lebanon meeting
President Donald Trump said on Thursday (April 16) that another round of in-person negotiations with Iran could happen soon. “Probably, maybe over the weekend,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House. This follows earlier remarks in which he suggested that talks could take place imminently. On Tuesday, he told the New York Post that discussions “could be happening over the next two days.”
Trump also indicated that extending the current ceasefire with Iran, set to expire next week, may not be necessary, while warning that military action could resume if negotiations fail. “We’re doing well, I can tell you,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I’m not sure it needs to be extended.” He added that Iran appears more willing to compromise than before, saying it is “willing to do things today that they weren’t willing to do two months ago.”
When asked what would happen if no agreement is reached, Trump made his stance clear: “If there’s no deal, fighting resumes,” he said. Trump praised the US blockade on Iranian ports, calling it highly effective in restricting Iran’s economy and military capacity. “So we’re doing very well with respect to that, having to do with the whole situation in Iran. The blockade is amazing. It’s holding up very strongly, very powerfully. And I think we’re making a lot of progress in that,” Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for Las Vegas.
He claimed the blockade has severely limited Iran’s operations. “It’s been, it’s held, and they’re not doing any business,” Trump said. “They’re unable to do any business because of the blockade. And so the combination of having no navy, having no air force, having no anti-aircraft equipment, they have nothing, everything is gone.” Trump added that enforcement could intensify, stating, “No ship is going past our navy,” Trump added.
Gas prices are ‘not very high’ compared to ‘what they were supposed to be’: Trump
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Trump said that gas prices are “not very high” and predicted oil prices could drop below pre-war levels if a deal is reached. “Well, they’re not very high, if you look at what they were supposed to be, to get rid of a nuclear weapon with the danger that entails. So the gas prices have come down very much over the last three, four days,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn at the White House.
He expressed confidence in ongoing negotiations, suggesting a potential agreement could significantly impact global oil markets. “I think we have a very successful negotiation going on right now,” Trump added later. “If it happens, it’ll be announced fairly soon, and that’ll give us free oil, free Hormuz Strait, everything will be nice. And I think your oil price will go down to lower than what it was before.”
Trump pushed back against criticism of rising prices and inflation during his presidency, instead pointing to conditions he says he inherited and highlighting stock market performance. Inflation rose 3.3% in March. “I inherited the highest prices in the history of our country, the worst inflation in the history of our country. I’ll get it down to a very low number … and it’s still low,” Trump said. According to AAA, the national average price for regular gas stands at $4.09 per gallon, while diesel averages $5.61.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.
