US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that Iran has “no choice but to send” its delegation to Pakistan where the second round of negotiations are likely to take place later this week.
In an interview with CNBC, Trump also said that he is confident that the US will get a “great deal” even as he insisted on not extending the ceasefire which will expire on Wednesday.
He claimed that the US has achieved regime change in Iran even if it’s done indirectly.
“We’ve taken out their leaders, frankly, which does complicate things in one way, but these leaders are much more rational,” Trump said. “It is regime change, no matter what you want to call it, which is not something I said I was going to do, but I’ve done it indirectly.”
The US President also added that he “expects to be bombing” Iran if a deal is not signed.
Earlier today, Trump urged Iranian leaders, who he claimed will soon be in negotiations with U.S. representatives, to release several women on death row.
“I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! It would be a great start to our negotiations!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social as he shared a post claiming that Tehran is planning to hand eight women.
Trump last weekend announced that a US delegation will visit Islamabad for another round of talks with Iran. However, there were conflicting reports about a US delegation departing for the city in Pakistan where the first round of talks were held.
Some reports claimed that US Vice President JD Vance has already left for Pakistan, while some claimed that he is still in the White House.
Moreover, Iran has also refused to send its delegation for talks with United States “under the shadow of threats”.
Iran has demanded the US to lift the military blockade of its ports. Trump, however, has refused to do that.
According to Iranian state media, “no delegation from Iran has gone to Islamabad, Pakistan; neither a main nor a subsidiary delegation; neither primary nor secondary” as of Tuesday.
Iranian Parliament Speaker, who led the first round of negotiations in Islamabad, on Monday said that the US President was attempting to force Tehran into submission. “Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire, wants – in his own delusion – to turn the negotiating table into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering,” he said in a post on X.
“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats,” he said, warning, “Over the past two weeks, we have prepared ourselves to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”