U.S. President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Iran, saying he may pursue negotiations by phone rather than in-person talks. He also argued that maritime blockades are working and claimed Iran’s oil pipelines could soon suffer internal explosions, extending what he described as economic pressure.
In a phone interview with Fox News on April 26 (local time), Trump said he would not send “people” on an 18-hour trip as a U.S. negotiating team. “We’ll do it by phone. So if they want, they can call us,” he said.
Referring to a call the previous day with Pakistan, Trump said, “We’re not going to do this anymore,” adding, “We have all the cards.” He said Pakistan would continue to stay involved, underscoring that it would keep its mediating role.
“They know what has to be in the (final) deal,” Trump said. “They can’t have nuclear weapons. Otherwise there’s no reason to meet.”
The remarks came as Trump weighs whether to resume face-to-face talks with Iran after saying he would keep a ceasefire in place until negotiations end. The United States had planned to send a delegation to Pakistan for talks, but has held off after Iran showed what the article described as a passive stance toward negotiations. Trump’s comments about “phone negotiations” were interpreted as a message aimed at pressuring Iran while reducing reliance on the talks.
On the war with Iran, Trump said, “We’ve done a great job, and we’re going to have a big victory.” He added, “I hope they act smart, but even if they don’t, we’re going to win anyway.”
On blockade measures targeting Iran-linked vessels in places including the Strait of Hormuz and the Pacific, Trump called them “incredibly effective,” claiming it means Iran “can’t make a lot of money anymore.”
He said that when a pipeline carrying large volumes of oil can no longer keep loading containers or ships and the line becomes blocked, “the pipe mechanically explodes internally underground.” He claimed it had happened to Iran and said the blockade left it without ships.
“It just explodes,” Trump said, adding that “they say they have only three days left” before that happens. He said that once it explodes, it cannot be restored, and even if it were repaired it would reach only about 50% of its current scale.
Trump also complained about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, saying it “didn’t help us properly.” He said the United States had “poured trillions of dollars” into supporting NATO for a long time, but “when we needed a little help, they weren’t there,” adding, “So we have to remember that.”
On China’s role, Trump said he did not think it had helped much. “It could help, but I don’t think there’s a lot they can do,” he said, adding that China could have acted “much worse,” but he did not think it had done so.
Trump also said he had “good conversations” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, without specifying when. “We’re trying to solve the Russia-Ukraine situation,” he said. “I hope we can do it.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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