‘Deal or total surrender’: Trump lambasts Iran over denials of direct talks

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump lashed out at the Iranian leadership, branding them “duplicitous” for allegedly begging for negotiations with Washington while publicly denying that any direct bilateral talks were taking place. He warned that the US military blockade will remain firm and that “nothing will get through” unless Tehran agrees to a deal or commits to "total surrender".

The scathing remarks came in a post on Truth Social following statements from Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, who firmly dismissed claims of active direct or indirect dialogue between Tehran and Washington, clarifying that Iran was only engaging in technical talks with Oman regarding maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iranian leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg’, talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they're not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman’”.

Dispute over control of Strait of Hormuz

Rejecting Tehran's assertion of authority over the strategic maritime chokepoint, a route crucial for global oil shipments, Trump maintained that the US Navy retains complete operational control over the waterway.

“They then go on to give their usual blather in saying, the Strait of Hormuz will be operated powerfully by them, when it is already completely controlled by the United States Navy and our ‘Blockade’ or, as some say, ‘The United States Wall of Steel!’ Nothing gets through to Iran unless we want it to, and nothing will get through unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished”.

Trump reiterated the primary objective of Washington's stance, emphasising that "IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!" and asserting that whether Tehran acknowledges it or not, discussions to resolve decades-long tensions are underway.

“Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades. It is very simple, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”.

Diplomatic pullback following threat of ‘massive attack’

The escalation follows Trump's disclosure that diplomatic interventions by regional partners, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, led him to call off what was envisioned as a “massive attack” on Iran. Talking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed that negotiation channels were active.

“We are talking to them [the Iranians] in the form of a negotiation; it begins tomorrow afternoon, and we'll see how it goes. I'd love to do that. It'll save a lot of lives, a lot of unnecessary power, to be honest with you. We are ready to go whenever we want. Would I rather make a deal? I'm not looking to kill people, because a lot of people die; we don't want that. So they asked us, Iran specifically, but the other three, they asked us”.

Earlier, Trump had warned of military retaliation “not seen since World War II” before agreeing to hold off subject to rapidly reaching an agreement,  “The USA is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat”.

While diplomatic efforts continue, perspectives among Gulf nations remain divided. While Saudi Arabia has advocated for de-escalation and restraint, the United Arab Emirates has lobbied Washington for a more assertive military posture against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

ANI