New Iran deal 'far better' than Obama nuclear deal, coming 'relatively quickly': Trump
US President Donald Trump holds a press conference at the White House in Washington, DC. SCREENGRAB
United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that the new deal in the pipeline with Iran would be "far better" than the nuclear deal realised by former president Barack Obama and would "guarantee peace, security and safety" for everyone, adding that it was coming "relatively quickly".
Trump made the assertion in a post on Truth Social.
In another post, he said: "I read the fake news saying that I am under 'pressure' to make a deal. This is not true! I am under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all happen, relatively quickly!"
He further said that the US Navy's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would not be lifted until the deal was secured.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed deep mistrust towards the US, saying honouring commitments was essential for meaningful dialogue amid growing uncertainty over new peace talks.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said, “Honouring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue. Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward the US government conduct remains, while unconstructive & contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran's surrender. Iranians do not submit to force.”
Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue. Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward U.S. gov conduct remains, while unconstructive & contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran's surrender. Iranians do not submit to force.
Earlier, Pezeshkian said Iran would seek to end the war imposed on the country by the US and the Israeli regime while preserving national honour.
Emphasising the importance of managing wartime conditions intelligently, the president said, “Today, we are endeavouring to manage these difficult circumstances through prudence, wisdom, and the preservation of national honour, so that we may subsequently focus on reconstruction and problem-solving through precise planning.”
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a visit to a fire station, where he expressed gratitude for the efforts of firefighters and emergency personnel, particularly during the 40-day war.
During the visit, the president received a briefing on the services provided by firefighting units to the public throughout the war.
Referring to the economic and social consequences of the conflict, Pezeshkian said, “It is natural that after the conclusion of hostilities, the country will face challenges in reconstruction, securing financial resources, and market control. These are realities that require meticulous management and public cooperation.”
He emphasised that overcoming these hardships would not be possible without public participation and solidarity.
Vance-led US team en route to Islamabad for Iran talks: Trump
Trump said that Vice President JD Vance and a US delegation were set to land in Pakistan within hours for talks on Iran and asserted that a deal would be signed "today", adding that he would be willing to meet with Iranian leaders himself if progress was made.
Anadolu and Al Jazeera reported that Trump told Fox News that the Iran deal would be signed “today” in Pakistan.
BREAKING: Trump says Iran deal to be signed today in Pakistan
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/K4Eo60byUT pic.twitter.com/jhlhUJJAITIt was not immediately clear what timeframe he was referring to.
Trump warned that if no deal was signed, he would "blow up every single power plant and bridge in Iran".
Iran has neither confirmed the claim nor announced a decision to send a delegation to Islamabad. However, Pakistani sources told the New York Post that Tehran was "willing for a second round" but that "no decision has been taken about" it.
In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said that he would be willing to meet with Iranian leaders himself if progress was made.
Trump said negotiations with Iran were expected to proceed, expressing confidence that talks would not collapse despite lingering uncertainty.
“We’re supposed to have the talks,” Trump said in a brief interview, brushing aside doubts about whether negotiations would fall apart. “So I would assume at this point nobody’s playing games.”
He confirmed that a high-level US delegation — including JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner — was already en route to Islamabad for the next round of negotiations.
“They’re heading over now,” Trump said shortly after 9 am EST. “They’ll be there tonight, [Islamabad] time.”
However, according to a source familiar with the matter, Vance is in the US and has not departed for Pakistan. It was not clear when he might travel, or whether other members of a US delegation were en route or already in Islamabad for talks.
Trump also signalled openness to a potential face-to-face meeting with the Iranian leadership if an opportunity arose.
“I have no problem meeting them,” he said. “If they want to meet, and we have some very capable people, but I have no problem meeting them.”
At the centre of the negotiations, Trump said, was a firm US demand that Iran abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“Get rid of their nuclear weapons. That’s all very simple,” he said. “There will be no nuclear weapon.”
He added that Iran could prosper if it complies with this condition.
“Otherwise, a wonderful country — it truly could be,” Trump said.
However, Trump declined to outline potential consequences if Tehran refused to comply or if talks collapsed, particularly as the ceasefire deadline approached.
“Well, I don’t want to get into that with you,” he said when asked whether the US would escalate measures, such as seizing additional ships tied to Iran. “You can imagine. It wouldn’t be pretty.”
Asked whether Washington was confident about its counterparts in Tehran, Trump said: “We have pretty good ideas, and we think we’re dealing with the right people.”
Trump brushes off Iran’s claims it won’t participate in latest negotiations — as prez tells The Post he’s willing to meet with regime’s leaders himselfhttps://t.co/bDjYWJtkKf pic.twitter.com/pDTwyBOBjI
Later, in a post on Truth Social, Trump said Israel had not persuaded him to go to war with Iran, stating that "the results of October 7, added to my lifelong opinion that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon", were responsible for his decision.
"I watch and read the fake news pundits and polls in total disbelief. Ninety per cent of what they say is lies and made-up stories, and the polls are rigged, much as the 2020 presidential election was rigged," he wrote.
"Just like the results in Venezuela, which the media doesn't like talking about, the results in Iran will be amazing - and if Iran's new leaders (Regime Change!) are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future," he added.
Iran will not accept anything beyond international law: deputy foreign minister
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Tehran would not accept any terms beyond international law in its dealings with the US.
Speaking in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB, Khatibzadeh said: “Time should not place Iran under pressure.”
He added that Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghaalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, have already presented what he described as “fair and practical proposals” within the framework of Iran’s legal rights.
Khatibzadeh also said many statements by US officials were aimed at domestic audiences and influencing markets, rather than reflecting a consistent policy approach.
He stressed that Iran’s strategy was not shaped by US rhetoric, whether positive or negative, and reiterated that Tehran “would not accept anything beyond international law.”
The deputy minister also emphasised that diplomacy remained the only viable path to resolving crises, calling on the United States to abandon what he described as a “maximalist approach” and engage with Iran on the basis of mutual respect.
'Positive development soon'
Pakistan is expecting “positive development soon” regarding the Strait of Hormuz following a call from the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Force, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to Trump, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Monday with the request of anonymity.
The intense diplomatic efforts by Islamabad come to smooth the way for the second round of talks between the US and Iran, expected any time soon in the Pakistani capital.
“We expect positive development soon,” sources said, referring to a phone call by Field Marshal Munir with Trump during which they discussed the Pakistani mediation process and the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's president stresses importance of diplomacy while noting distrust of US
Earlier, Pezeshkian said that every rational and diplomatic path should be used to reduce tensions with the US, but added that vigilance and distrust in interactions with Washington were an "undeniable necessity", according to the state news agency IRNA.
A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US is set to expire on Wednesday, with US representatives set to reach Islamabad for Iran negotiations on Monday while Tehran has yet to announce whether it will send a delegation to Pakistan.
Iranian state TV quoted an unnamed informed source as saying there were no plans for a second round of negotiations due to the US' "excessive and irrational" demands as well as its changing stances.
The adversaries are at loggerheads over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran tightened control over maritime transit as the US continues to blockade Iranian ports and on Sunday took custody of a vessel trying to get past the American blockade.
Both Iran and the US have accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Pezeshkian said the US blockade showed that Washington was moving toward "repeating previous patterns and betraying diplomacy", according to state TV.
Iran rules out second round of US talks 'for now'
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has said on Monday there is currently "no plan" for a second round of negotiations with the US as the US is "not serious" about pursuing the diplomatic process, committed "violent acts" and violated ceasefire provisions.
He said during a news conference that US proposals have been "unserious" and its demands "unrealistic", adding that Tehran has clearly stated their demands and won't change them.
Tehran: No Plans Yet For Further Talks
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated on Monday that Tehran currently has no plans for a subsequent round of negotiations. pic.twitter.com/476CuTy1cN"We do not believe in deadlines or ultimatums when it comes to safeguarding Iran's national interests."
On the topic of nuclear stockpiles, Baghaei said that removing the stockpile was "never an option in negotiations" as "Tehran's definitive position is to preserve nuclear achievements within its territory."
Baghaei stated that the US has violated talks and negotiations twice, attacked Iran, killed Iranian people and attacked infrastructure, according to Al Jazeera.
Differences over Iran's nuclear programme still remain, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Monday, as Iran and the United States try to reach a lasting peace with the two-week ceasefire ending soon.
The senior Iranian source said that Tehran's "defensive capabilities", including its missile programme, are not open to negotiation with the United States.
"Continuation of the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz undermines the peace talks," the source said.
Regarding the targeting of an Indian vessel, Baghaei stated that the Iranian institutions are investigating whether it was targeted by Iran's forces.
China voices concern over US seizure of Iranian cargo ship, urges further talks
China has expressed concern over the "forced interception" by the US of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, urging relevant parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement in a responsible manner.
"The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is sensitive and complicated," said spokesman Guo Jiakun during a regular press briefing. Parties involved should avoid further escalation and "create the necessary conditions for normal transit through the strait to resume," he added.
The US said earlier it fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran's military said the ship had been travelling from China and vowed retaliation against what it called "armed piracy by the US military."
Beijing on Monday also urged relevant parties to "continue to maintain the momentum of the ceasefire and negotiations".
"Now that a window for peace has opened, favourable conditions should be created to bring the war to an end as soon as possible," Guo said.
Additionally, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the normal passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz to be maintained in a phone call on Monday with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, state news agency Xinhua reported.
China advocates an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, and insists on resolving conflicts in the Middle East through political and diplomatic channels, Xinhua cited Xi as saying.
PM Shehbaz, Iranian President Pezeshkian hold phone call
In a phone call late on Sunday evening with Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian thanked Pakistan for its “serious efforts” to promote peace, expressing appreciation for both the PM Shehbaz and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, according to the state-run news agency IRNA.
Pezeshkian criticised Washington’s conduct, citing “continued breaches of commitments and bullying and unreasonable behavior” during negotiations and the ceasefire period, and described the US’s “provocative and illegal actions” in the so-called naval blockade of Iran as “a clear violation of the ceasefire understanding and contrary to the United Nations Charter.”
According to the IRNA, he said that “such actions, along with threatening rhetoric by US officials against Iran, only lead to intensifying mistrust regarding America’s seriousness and further reveal that the US seeks to repeat previous patterns and betray diplomacy."
Iranian armed forces ready to confront US aggression
The Iran armed forces spokesperson said the forces were ready to confront the US after "aggression" against their vessel, according to state media.
They stated that their response was delayed due to presence of crew families on board the vessel, and that they have to ensure the safety of the crew and their families.
Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the US said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.
Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the US had hoped to kick off before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.
The US has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then reimposed its own blockade on marine traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
Read: Trump sends negotiators for Islamabad Round 2
The US military said it fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship headed towards Iran's Bandar Abbas port on Sunday after a six-hour standoff, disabling its engines.
U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/mFxI5RzYCS
US Marines then rappelled from helicopters onto the vessel, US Central Command said.
"We have full custody of their ship, and are seeing what's on board!" President Trump wrote on social media.
Iran's military said the ship had been travelling from China. "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military," a military spokesperson said, according to state media.
The US earlier on Monday said it fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran's military said the ship had been travelling from China and vowed retaliation against what it called "armed piracy by the US military."
Oil prices jumped, and stock markets wobbled, as traders pondered the prospect that traffic in and out of the Gulf would remain at a bare minimum.
Read more: Pakistan role averted oil shock: Iqbal
After a slower start, the S&P 500's advance from the US-Iran war low has caught up with the scale of the rebound from the 2025 tariff-driven selloff low.
‘What Trump could not achieve in war, he will not achieve in negotiations’: Iran envoy
According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali has said the US and Israel have failed in their attacks on Iran, and warned that Washington will not fare better at the negotiating table.
“They stated that they could conquer all of Iran in a few days and carry out regime change,” Jalali said in an interview with Russian newspaper Vedomosti. “Question: in which of their tasks have they achieved success? Not in one. The attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel have failed.”
He noted that US demands had shifted dramatically over the course of the conflict. “At first they wanted regime change, but they got to the point where they only wanted to open the Strait of Hormuz. It fails. And the naval blockade he announced does not make any sense, because we have an iron will for further actions.”
Jalali said the war had in fact strengthened Iranian resolve rather than weakened it, Al Jazeera.
US brinkmanship, Iran rejects peace talks
Iranian state media reported that Tehran had rejected new peace talks, citing the ongoing blockade, threatening rhetoric, and Washington's shifting positions and "excessive demands."
"One cannot restrict Iran's oil exports while expecting free security for others," Iran's First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref wrote on social media. "The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone."
Trump earlier threatened Iran that the US would destroy essential civilian infrastructure such as every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran rejected his terms, continuing a recent pattern of such threats.
Iran has said that if the United States were to attack its civilian infrastructure, it would hit power stations and desalination plants of Gulf Arab neighbours.
Israeli military warns Lebanese people not to return to border villages
The Israeli military has warned people in southern Lebanon not to move south of a specified line of villages or approach areas near the Litani River, saying its forces remain deployed in the area, reported Al Jazeera.
The villages are Beit Siyad Farm, Majdal Zun, Zabqin, Yatar, Sarbin, Hula, Beit Yahun, Shaqra, Majdal Salm, Qabriqa, Farun, Zutr al-Gharbiyya, Yahmar al-Shaqif, Arnun, Deir Mimas, Marjayoun, Aabbel al-Saqi, Al-Mari, Kfar Shouba, Ain Qana and Ain Atta.
Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee also urged civilians not to return to dozens of border villages in southern Lebanon.
A 10-day US-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel started on April 16.
Iran says it will use ‘all capabilities’ to defend national interests against US threats
Iran said Monday that it will use “all capabilities” to defend its national interests and security against what it described as growing US threats.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a phone call with his counterpart Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar that recent US threats against Iranian ports, coasts and vessels coupled with what he called contradictory and unreasonable demands showed that Washington is not serious about diplomacy.
According to a statement carried by state-run Press TV, Araghchi accused the US of repeatedly breaching understandings reached over the past year.
He cited what he described as US military aggression against Iran during negotiations in March and June 2025 as well as recent violations of the ceasefire between the US and Iran mediated by Pakistan.
“These are clear signs of ill intentions and a lack of seriousness in diplomacy,” Araghchi said.
He added that Iran “will use all its capabilities to safeguard the country’s interests and national security.”
Preparing for talks that might not happen
Trump said his envoys would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening, one day before a two-week ceasefire ends.
A White House official told Reuters the US delegation would be headed by Vice President JD Vance, who led the war's first peace talks a week ago, and also include Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. But Trump told ABC News and MS Now that Vance would not go.
Pakistan, which has served as the main mediator, appeared to be preparing for the talks. Two giant US C-17 cargo planes landed at an air base on Sunday afternoon, carrying security equipment and vehicles in preparation for the US delegation's arrival, two Pakistani security sources said.
Municipal authorities in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad halted public transport and heavy-goods traffic through the city. Barbed wire was rolled out near the Serena Hotel, where last week's talks were held. The hotel told all guests to leave.
Now in its eighth week, the war has created the most severe shock to global energy supplies in history, sending oil prices surging because of the de facto closure of the strait.
Thousands of people have been killed by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and in an Israeli invasion of Lebanon conducted in parallel since the war began on February 28. Iran responded to the attacks with missiles and drones against Israeli and nearby Arab countries that host US bases.
Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who has led Iran's side in the talks, had earlier said the two sides had made progress but were still far apart on nuclear issues and the Strait.
European allies, repeatedly criticised by Trump for not aiding his war effort, worry that Washington's negotiating team is pushing for a swift, superficial deal that would require months or years of technically complex follow‑on talks.
Now in its eighth week, the war has created the most severe shock to global energy supplies in history, sending oil prices surging because of the de facto closure of the strait.
Thousands of people have been killed by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and in an Israeli invasion of Lebanon conducted in parallel since the war began on February 28.
Iran responded to the attacks with missiles and drones against Israeli and nearby Arab countries that host US bases.
Iran executed two men convicted of cooperating with Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and planning attacks inside the country, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan reported on Sunday.