President Donald Trump said Wednesday that in order to end a blockade he imposed in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran would need to “cry uncle” and “give up,” though Tehran has shown no indication it intends to comply anytime soon.
Trump also defended the blockade, calling it “genius” and “100 percent foolproof,” while offering no timeline for how long it would remain in place.
“The blockade is genius. The blockade is 100 percent foolproof, which shows how good our Navy is,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked how long it would continue.
“Now, they have to cry uncle, that’s all they have to do. Just say, ‘We give up,’” he said, adding that their economy is “dead.”
He said he was uncertain whether additional strikes would be needed to push Iran toward a quicker agreement as a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran continues for an undetermined period following a two-week truce agreed to weeks ago.
On negotiations, Trump said talks would continue but indicated no plans to send another U.S. delegation to Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator.
“I don’t know. It depends. We’re having talks with them now. We’re not flying anymore with 18 hour flights every time we want to see a piece of paper,” he said. “We’re doing it telephonically and it’s very nice.”
He also expressed frustration with the logistics of diplomacy, saying he prefers “face-to-face” meetings but sees long travel as unnecessary given the nature of the discussions.
Trump said Iran has “come a long way.”
“The question is whether or not they’re going to go far enough,” he said. “So, at this moment, there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will be no nuclear.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade. Iran has reportedly proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts the blockade and ends the conflict, while postponing nuclear discussions.
Speaking to Axios Wednesday, Trump said he would maintain the blockade until Iran agrees to a nuclear-related deal, rejecting Tehran’s proposal.
“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told Axios.
In a Truth Social post early Wednesday, Trump warned Iran to act quickly and make a deal. The post included an AI-generated image of him in sunglasses and a suit holding a machine gun with explosions in the background.
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