US President Donald Trump on Friday warned of renewed military action against Iran if upcoming peace talks in Pakistan fail, saying American warships are being equipped with “the best ammunition” in preparation.
Speaking to The NewYork Post, Trump indicated that the next 24 hours would be critical in determining the outcome of negotiations.
“We're going to find out in about 24 hours. We're going to know soon,” he said in a phone interview.
His remarks came shortly after Vice President JD Vance departed for Islamabad aboard Air Force Two, where he is expected to be joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for talks aimed at securing a final agreement following a two-week ceasefire reached earlier this week.
“We have a reset going. We're loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made —even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart,” Trump said.
“But we're loading up the ships… at a higher level than we used to do a complete decimation. And if we don't have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively.”
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Trump also cast doubt on Iran's negotiating stance, telling The Post: “You're dealing against people that we don't know whether or not they tell the truth.”
“To our face, they're getting rid of all nuclear weapons, everything's gone. And then they go out to the press and say, ‘No, we'd like to enrich.' So we'll find out,” he added.
Iran is expected to be represented in Islamabad by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Tehran has consistently maintained its right to uranium enrichment.
Meanwhile, in a post on X, Ghalibaf said that a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets are the two measures must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.
The talks are likely to centre on key US demands, including Iran handing over an estimated 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium and ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping. Trump has stressed that free passage through the critical oil route is essential to any agreement.
Other sticking points include Iran's regional influence, its ballistic missile programme, and calls from Tehran for relief from US sanctions.
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