"We are offering a very fair and reasonable deal. I hope they will accept it; otherwise, the US will destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran. We will no longer play the nice guy. Iran will collapse quickly and easily," President Donald Trump stated in a Truth Social post today.

Trump added that a US delegation would arrive in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on the evening of 20/4 for negotiations.

President Donald Trump at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 16/4. *AP*

Iranian officials have not commented on these statements. Mohammad Bagher, Speaker of Iran's Parliament and head of the country's negotiating team, stated on 18/4 that the two sides "are still very far from a final discussion."

Addressing Iran's statement about re-blockading the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump remarked, "This is strange because we have already closed it." He accused Iran of violating a ceasefire agreement with the US by firing at a French and a British vessel.

"Iran is unknowingly helping the US. They are the ones losing 500 million USD daily by closing this route, while the US loses nothing. Many ships are heading to the US states of Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska to load cargo, thanks to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," Trump wrote.

The US military began efforts on 13/4 to block vessels from entering and exiting Iranian ports, two days after negotiations in Pakistan concluded without results and Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

On 17/4, Iran announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to welcome a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon taking effect, but re-imposed the blockade on this shipping lane just one day later in response to the US-enforced port blockade campaign.

Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, later declared that the US blockade of Iran's ports and coastlines not only violated the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire but was also "an illegal, criminal act and collective punishment of the people."

The route Iran designated for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. *Guardian*

Iran's Supreme National Security Council stated on 18/4 that the country is reviewing "new proposals" from the US in recent days but has not yet responded. The council declared that Tehran's negotiating delegation "will not make any concessions, no matter how small, and will strive to protect the nation's interests."

Axios, citing informed sources, reported that President Trump convened a meeting with cabinet, intelligence, and military officials to discuss the Hormuz crisis and the negotiation process with Iran. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said that Iran must not "blackmail" the US by constantly changing its stance on the Strait of Hormuz, but added that the two sides are in dialogue.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, AP, Tasnim, Al Jazeera)