By Ginika Igboke
President Donald Trump said the United States is preparing military options if negotiations with Iran fail, as both countries’ delegations arrived in Pakistan for high-stakes talks that could determine whether peace holds or conflict resumes.
“We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made,” Trump said in an April 10 phone interview with the New York Post. “And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them—and we will be using them very effectively.”
The remarks came shortly before Vice President JD Vance departed for Islamabad, where indirect negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials are set to begin. The talks aim to end more than a month of conflict and potentially turn a fragile ceasefire into a lasting agreement.
“We’re going to find out in about 24 hours,” Trump said. “We’re going to know soon.”
Talks Begin Under Military Pressure
The negotiations, mediated by Pakistan, are expected to focus on key issues including Iran’s nuclear program, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the scope of the ceasefire.
Vance is leading the U.S. delegation alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. Both U.S. and Iranian teams held separate meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of the talks.
Sharif’s office said Pakistan remains committed to facilitating a lasting resolution, expressing hope that the discussions would serve as a step toward durable peace. U.S. officials have also voiced cautious optimism.
Speaking before departure, Vance said he believes the outcome could be positive but warned against bad-faith negotiations.
“If they’re going to try and play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” he said.
Trump added that while relations with Iran may be entering a “reset,” uncertainty remains over Tehran’s commitments—particularly on nuclear issues.
“You’re dealing with people we don’t know whether they tell the truth,” he said, noting conflicting Iranian statements on uranium enrichment.
Retired Gen. Jack Keane said Trump is aware of past Iranian actions and is unlikely to agree to a weak deal.
Nuclear Dispute and Strait of Hormuz at Center Stage
The United States has made clear that eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities is a top priority. Washington is pushing for a halt to uranium enrichment and international oversight of existing stockpiles.
The Strait of Hormuz is also central to the talks. The critical shipping route carries about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil, and its disruption has driven up global energy prices and contributed to inflation pressures in the United States.
Trump has argued that Iran has limited leverage beyond restricting access to the waterway, accusing Tehran of using it as a tool of pressure.
Iran Signals Distrust and Sets Conditions
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is entering the talks with “complete distrust,” citing alleged past U.S. violations of agreements. He is representing Iran alongside Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Ghalibaf has outlined conditions for negotiations, including a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of frozen Iranian assets—demands that have complicated progress.
Iran has also insisted that any broader agreement include an end to Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a condition rejected by both Washington and Israel, which consider the Lebanon conflict separate from the current truce.
Meanwhile, the United States has agreed to help mediate separate ceasefire discussions between Israel and Lebanon, with initial contacts already underway and a follow-up meeting planned in Washington next week.
Trump’s warning of possible escalation comes as the 14-day ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan and announced on April 7, remains in effect but under increasing strain.
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