Live updates: Follow the latest news on Iran war
US President Donald Trump on Monday gave conflicting updates on talks with Iran, using social media to promote diplomacy while lashing out at the media and his political opponents.
With uncertainty about whether the ceasefire with Iran will be extended beyond Wednesday, Mr Trump’s remarks added to the confusion. The fate of the second round of planned peace talks in Pakistan also remained unclear.
In one post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said any agreement reached by his administration would be “far better” than the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former president Barack Obama.
“If a deal happens under Trump it will guarantee peace, security and safety – not only for Israel and the Middle East, but for Europe, America and everywhere else,” he wrote.
He described the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as “one of the worst deals ever made” and said it created a pathway for Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Mr Trump withdrew the US from the accord in 2018 during his first term.
In another post, Mr Trump claimed Iran was losing $500 million a day under a US-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and said the pressure campaign would remain in place until Tehran agreed to a deal.
“They are losing $500 million a day; an unsustainable number, even in the short run,” he wrote.
He followed with another post saying the blockade of Iran’s ports was “absolutely destroying” the country and that restrictions would not be lifted until an agreement was reached.
Mr Trump also said the US was “winning” the war with Iran, while accusing major American news organisations of misrepresenting the conflict. He also attacked Democrats, calling them “traitors".
In interviews and online posts, he appeared to offer contradictory assessments of the state of negotiations, raising more questions about the prospects of talks with Iran.
He told Fox News that a deal with Iran would be signed “today".
Later, on Truth Social, he wrote: “I am under no pressure whatsoever, although it will all happen, relatively quickly.”
Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Mr Trump had told Fox news that Mr Vance was already on his way, although it later became clear that the Vice President was still in Washington.
A source told The National that the American delegation planned to travel to Islamabad “soon.”
Mr Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7. He told Bloomberg on Monday that it would end on Wednesday night, US time.
