Donald Trump warns Iran, says ready for personal meeting as JD Vance leads US delegation to Pakistan

Washington: US President Donald Trump is ready to engage in talks with Iran. He is dispatching a delegation led by JD Vance to Pakistan. However, Iran remains adamant regarding its demands. Meanwhile, during an interview, when asked about a ceasefire, Trump gave a highly explosive response.

What did Donald Trump say?

The ceasefire period between the United States and Iran is set to expire on Tuesday. In this context, speaking in an interview with PBS News, Trump stated that once the ceasefire period ends, "a lot of bombs are going to start dropping."

When asked whether Iran still intends to participate in the upcoming talks in Islamabad, Trump replied, "I don't know. They might be there. We had reached an agreement regarding this."

When asked what his expectations were of the negotiating team in Islamabad, Trump stated, "No nuclear weapons. Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons."

Meanwhile, Trump has also reiterated that he is serious about these negotiations and, if given the opportunity, is prepared to meet directly with the Iranian leadership. He remarked, "I have no problem meeting with them. If they wish to meet, we have very capable people. I personally have no issue with meeting them myself."

The US President asserts that the decision to wage war against Iran was entirely his own, and that Israel played no role in it. Trump stated, "Israel did not push me into a war with Iran." The rationale behind this decision was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, as well as the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

What is the situation in Pakistan?

Concurrently, ahead of the US delegation's visit to Islamabad, heavy US military aircraft—such as the C-17 Globemaster III—have landed at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi. This airbase is situated in close proximity to Islamabad. Furthermore, roads leading from the airport to Islamabad's "Red Zone" have been temporarily closed, clearly indicating that security measures are being significantly tightened. Prior to this, in the second week of April, talks between the two countries were held in Islamabad for nearly 21 hours, but no concrete outcome emerged. However, on April 8—at Pakistan's initiative—a two-week ceasefire was indeed implemented, which paved the way for further negotiations.