President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran on a potential peace deal will resume on Monday (April 20), with his envoy scheduled to be in Pakistan in hopes of extending the ceasefire agreement between the two countries even after a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz in a post shared on his Truth Social account Sunday (April 19).

"Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement! Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom," Trump wrote. "That wasn’t nice, was it? My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations. Iran recently announced that they were closing the Strait, which is strange, because our BLOCKADE has already closed it. They’re helping us without knowing, and they are the ones that lose with the closed passage, $500 Million Dollars a day! The United States loses nothing. In fact, many Ships are headed, right now, to the U.S., Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to load up, compliments of the IRGC, always wanting to be “the tough guy!” We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!"

The reported process of negotiations, which weren't confirmed by Iran, came after Tehran said it would be open to talks with the U.S., but reaffirmed its decision to once again close the Strait of Hormuz.

“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said in an interview on state television late Saturday (April 18) via the Associated Press.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon was reached on Thursday (April 16) and went into place on Friday (April 17). Iran had initially claimed that Lebanon was included in its ceasefire with the U.S. before Israel launched attacks on Hezbollah.

The Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a vital waterway for trade along the Persian Gulf responsible for an estimated 20% of the world's oil supply traveling through, was initially blockaded by Iran in response to the United States and Israel's 'Operation Epic Fury' prior to its ceasefire agreement and most recently due to Israel's failed truce with Lebanon. The blockade has led to gas prices soaring in the United States as the price of oil surpassed $100 per barrel multiple times.

The U.S. military began its own blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas in adherence with Trump's orders earlier this week.

Mo Egger

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