US President Donald Trump urged Iran to “get smart soon” over a nuclear deal amid stalled peace talks.
Trump on Wednesday, April 19, in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, warned Iran that he is not a “nice guy” anymore, threatening of serious consequences.
The US president posted an AI-generated image of himself wearing a black suit and sunglasses holding an AR-15-style rifle in front of a barrage of explosions with caption, “No more Mr. nice guy!”
He wrote, “Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon.”
The Wall Street Journal cited US officials as saying the president had instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran's ports in a bid to force Tehran to capitulate, Reuters reported.
Officials said that Trump had opted to continue squeezing Iran's economy and oil exports with the blockade as his other options, resuming bombing or walking away from the conflict.
Iranian officials said on Tuesday the country could withstand the blockade as it was using alternative trade routes, and the Islamic Republic did not consider the war over.
The US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to respond with strikes on what it described as US interests across the region, many of them in Gulf countries.
A ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, followed by talks hosted in Islamabad on April 11-12, but the negotiations ended without an agreement.
Trump later said the truce had been extended at Pakistan’s request pending a proposal from Tehran.
