{"id":47461,"date":"2026-04-11T08:30:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T08:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=47461"},"modified":"2026-04-11T08:30:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T08:30:12","slug":"trump-optimistic-on-iran-talks-warns-u-s-warships-reloading-with-best-weapons-if-diplomacy-fails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=47461","title":{"rendered":"Trump \u2018Optimistic\u2019 on Iran Talks \u2014 Warns U.S. Warships Reloading with &#8216;Best Weapons&#8217; if Diplomacy Fails"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">President Donald Trump said Friday he is \u201coptimistic\u201d a deal with Iran is \u201cwithin reach\u201d ahead of high-stakes negotiations in Pakistan, while warning the United States is \u201cloading up\u201d its warships in the region and is prepared to resume military action if diplomacy collapses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"531\" data-end=\"798\">The remarks come as Vice President JD Vance departed aboard Air Force Two for Islamabad, where he will join special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner for talks set to begin Saturday, with Iranian officials already arriving in the Pakistani capital.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"800\" data-end=\"1127\">In a statement provided to Fox News on Friday afternoon, the White House said Trump \u201ctasked Vice President Vance, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Mr. Kushner with traveling to Islamabad to negotiate with Iran,\u201d with officials from the National Security Council, State Department, and Department of Defense playing a supporting role.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1129\" data-end=\"1322\">\u201cThe president is optimistic that a deal can be reached that can lead to lasting peace in the Middle East,\u201d the statement said, adding that Trump \u201cwill only accept one that puts America first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042633249139089704\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FoxNews\/status\/2042633249139089704\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1324\" data-end=\"1572\">Trump struck a similarly optimistic tone in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/iran\/trump-optimistic-iran-peace-deal-even-ceasefire-appears-strained-rcna267428\">remarks<\/a> to NBC News a day earlier, saying he was \u201cvery optimistic\u201d a peace deal was within reach and suggesting Iranian officials appear more conciliatory in direct negotiations than in public statements.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"1574\" data-end=\"1702\">\u201cThey\u2019re much more reasonable,\u201d Trump said, adding that Tehran has been \u201cagreeing to all the things that they have to agree to.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"1704\" data-end=\"1819\">At the same time, the president made clear that failure to reach an agreement would carry significant consequences.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1821\" data-end=\"2001\">\u201cWe\u2019re going to find out in about 24 hours. We\u2019re going to know soon,\u201d Trump said in a phone <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/10\/us-news\/trump-tells-the-post-hes-preparing-military-if-iran-fails-to-comply-in-talks-were-loading-up-the-ships\/\">interview<\/a> with the <em>New York Post<\/em> on Friday morning, calling the talks a pivotal moment.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2003\" data-end=\"2227\">He added that the U.S. has initiated what he described as a \u201creset,\u201d saying, \u201cWe\u2019re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made \u2014 even better than what we did previously, and we blew them apart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2229\" data-end=\"2336\">\u201cAnd if we don\u2019t have a deal, we will be using them \u2014 and we will be using them very effectively,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2229\" data-end=\"2336\">Speaking to reporters Friday evening before boarding Marine One, Trump reinforced that posture, saying Iran has been \u201cmilitarily defeated\u201d and warning the United States is prepared to \u201cfinish it off one way or the other\u201d if negotiations fail.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042714839651397830\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RapidResponse47\/status\/2042714839651397830\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2338\" data-end=\"2522\">Trump further sharpened his message in a pair of Truth Social posts Friday, arguing Iran is negotiating from a position of weakness while leveraging control over global shipping lanes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a9d adSo\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"2524\" data-end=\"2810\">\u201cThe Iranians don\u2019t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!\u201d Trump wrote, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy shipments.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042641402467598799\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/2042641402467598799\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2812\" data-end=\"2951\">In a separate post, he added, \u201cThe Iranians are better at handling the Fake News Media, and \u2018Public Relations,\u2019 than they are at fighting!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042641554645336569\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/clashreport\/status\/2042641554645336569\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2953\" data-end=\"3186\">The talks are set to take place on Saturday in Pakistan\u2019s capital of Islamabad, where Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/us-iran-talks-in-islamabad-are-a-make-or-break-for-a-permanent-ceasefire-pakistan-pm-says\/\">described<\/a> the negotiations as \u201cmake or break\u201d for securing a lasting ceasefire in the weeks-long conflict.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3188\" data-end=\"3424\">An Iranian delegation \u2014 led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf \u2014 has already arrived in the city and was received by Pakistan\u2019s military and diplomatic leadership amid heightened security.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042721500747182088\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sentdefender\/status\/2042721500747182088\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3426\" data-end=\"3765\">The negotiations are expected to focus on U.S. demands that Iran relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, curb its ballistic missile program, and end support for regional proxy groups, while Tehran is expected to push for sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Trump also made clear \u2014 in comments before departing Friday evening \u2014 that the United States would not allow Iran to restrict international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a9d adSo\"\/>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not going to allow that \u2014 it\u2019s international water,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042715184020508829\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RapidResponse47\/status\/2042715184020508829\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Asked what would define a successful agreement, Trump said the priority remains preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo nuclear weapons \u2014 that\u2019s 99% of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042715365562527925\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RapidResponse47\/status\/2042715365562527925\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3767\" data-end=\"3883\">Vance, speaking before departure, struck a cautiously optimistic tone while underscoring the conditions for success.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3885\" data-end=\"3996\">\u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it\u2019s going to be positive. We\u2019ll, of course, see,\u201d Vance said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3998\" data-end=\"4255\">He added that \u201cif the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we\u2019re certainly willing to extend the open hand,\u201d while cautioning that \u201cif they\u2019re going to try and play us, then they\u2019re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042582932477432149\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RapidResponse47\/status\/2042582932477432149\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4257\" data-end=\"4494\">A Reuters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/iran-wanted-negotiate-with-vance-they-got-their-wish-2026-04-10\/\">report<\/a> Friday said some Iranian officials had quietly expressed interest in Vance taking a leading role, viewing him as more skeptical of prolonged military conflict, though the White House pushed back on that characterization.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4496\" data-end=\"4751\">Other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/middle-east\/iran-news\/article-892602\">reporting<\/a> has pointed to internal disagreements within Iran\u2019s leadership over the composition of its negotiating team and whether to engage on key issues such as its missile program, underscoring the challenges facing both sides as they enter talks.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4753\" data-end=\"4987\">The negotiations follow a fragile ceasefire reached this week after nearly six weeks of conflict, during which U.S. forces carried out a sweeping campaign that military leaders say dealt a decisive blow to Iran\u2019s capabilities.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4989\" data-end=\"5257\">U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2026\/04\/09\/centcom-chief-iran-has-suffered-a-generational-military-defeat-40-year-military-build-up-crushed-in-under-40-days\/\">said<\/a> Thursday that Iran \u201chas suffered a generational military defeat,\u201d with its decades-long military buildup \u201ccrushed in under 40 days\u201d after thousands of strikes dismantled its missile, drone, and naval infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5259\" data-end=\"5478\">While active combat operations have paused, U.S. forces remain fully postured across the region, with Trump signaling that military assets will stay in place until what he has described as a \u201creal agreement\u201d is secured.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5480\" data-end=\"5747\">With both sides entrenched on key issues and the ceasefire showing signs of strain, officials have acknowledged that the talks in Islamabad could prove decisive in determining whether the conflict moves toward a negotiated settlement or a renewed phase of escalation.<\/p>\n<p><em>Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter\u00a0<a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoshuaKlein_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">@JoshuaKlein<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2026\/04\/10\/trump-optimistic-iran-talks-warns-u-s-warships-reloading-if-diplomacy-fails\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Donald Trump said Friday he is \u201coptimistic\u201d a deal with Iran is \u201cwithin reach\u201d ahead of high-stakes negotiations in Pakistan, while warning the United States&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-south-america"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47461"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47461\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}