With hours left before the US-Iran ceasefire agreement expires on April 22, President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned of bombing if talks fail, while Iran has signalled it is ready with new strategies. Trump’s warning to Tehran comes at a time when uncertainty looms over the second round of direct negotiations between the United States and Iran.
In a telephonic conversation with CNBC, President Trump said, “Well, I expect to be bombing, because I think that's a better attitude to go in with. But we're ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go. They are absolutely incredible. I built the military in my first term.”
“I’m using it now. The military, when I took it over from Barack Hussein Obama, it was so depleted, so sad. And I built it in my first term. You remember those big numbers. You talked to me about it once. That's a lot of money for the military. I built it. We did a great job with our military, and we're using it now and rebuilding it, too. We've done a lot of rebuilding also in my first year,” he added.
Has JD Vance Left For Pakistan? White House Clarifies His Status
The White House clarified on April 21 that US Vice President JD Vance has not departed for Pakistan and is currently engaged in policy meetings, according to Reuters. The update comes as the US–Iran ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday (April 22).
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Iran has not yet formally confirmed its participation in the scheduled talks with the United States in Islamabad.
The second round of direct US–Iran negotiations, initially scheduled for April 21 in Islamabad, did not take place due to delays. Reports indicate that neither a US nor an Iranian delegation is currently present in the city, adding to uncertainty over the diplomatic process.
Following the White House clarification regarding JD Vance’s location, the delay has further raised questions about the progress and commitment of both sides to the ongoing truce, with attention now focused on whether talks will be rescheduled or if tensions escalate after the deadline.
