In an interview with the New York Post
President Donald Trump said US warships are being reloaded with “the best ammunition” in case strikes on Iran resume
Warned military action will follow if peace talks fail
Said outcome of negotiations should be known within ~24 hours
Peace talks taking place in Pakistan (Islamabad) following a two-week cease-fire
US delegation includes JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner
Iran expected to be represented by Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
US demands include:
Hand over ~1,000 pounds of enriched uranium
Keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping
End support for regional proxy groups
Address ballistic missile program
Iran maintains it has a right to enrich uranium
Iran seeking lifting of US sanctions
Strait of Hormuz only partially reopened; limited ship traffic since cease-fire
Trump says reopening the strait is a critical condition for any deal
Trump expressed distrust of Iran, citing conflicting statements on nuclear intentions
The clock is ticking on this one. The U.S. is heading into talks with Iran, but at the same time, Trump is making it clear the military option is loaded and ready to go if things fall apart.
The key sticking points are uranium, the Strait of Hormuz, and broader security issues, and there’s still a wide gap between the two sides.
So while there is a cease-fire and negotiations are underway (for 2-weeks or so they say), the market should understand this is far from resolved — and the next 24 hours could quickly shift the story back toward escalation if a deal isn’t reached.
This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.